Jade Ashikabi
by WithinTheMadness
Summary: War is hell. War messes with the psyche. That includes hallucinations. But what happens when one discovers those hallucinations are real? Haunted by dreams of a woman he swears he's never met before, Harry Potter,known as EJ Black, finds himself in Tokyo at the beginning of the Sekirei Game; a game of which, he discovers, he's a participant. A game, to usher in the New Age of Gods.
1. The Doctor is In

**A/N: Hello Sports Fans! And non-sports fans. And those who are just fans. Mostly those who are just fans, because my house has no circulation in it, and my little table-top fan is my very, very best friend in the whole world. Yeah, it's summer here already. Has been for a month now. And in a stone-walled house with no circulation or insulation? It's either -50 at night (Which I LOOOOOVE) or 150 during the day (which I hate). I drink two gallons of water a day, and sweat half of it out again just sitting around my house. Oodles of joy.**

**Anyways! It's been some time since I've posted anything here. For those of y'all hoping for a **_Wizard Saint Natsu _**update; No, I have not abandoned it. A couple persons messaged me, who I am very grateful they did, and I'll tell y'all what I told them: It's pending. Losing several years of work due to a combination of idiocy on my part, and bad luck, is very demoralizing and disheartening. The backstory in particular has been the worst, `cause I started writing it back in 2015 as a passing fancy. Before y'all argue that Irene wasn't even a character at that point, I'm aware. She wasn't the original woman in my backstory, just a fortunate circumstance that she was written in a way that fit, and I modified my story as new canon information came to light. So, as you can imagine, losing all that work in one fell swoop did a number on the psyche, and I lost the flow of the story as a result. Since then, I've been working on other things that came to mind. Mostly to get them out of my head.**

**Currently I have... sorry, had to go count... five different stories going right now: HP AU, HP/Star Wars, HP/Fairy Tail, **_Wizard Saint Natsu, _**and this story. An HP/Witcher x-over is in the brainstorming department, as is an HP/Dragon's Age, but those are just brainstorming as ideas and thoughts come to mind. There's also an HP/Witcher/GoT one, but that's... yeah. I don't own all the books that are already out, so that's a long ways down the road. And I know it'll be a reeeeeally long ass story. Considering just the brainstorming has 50k words? JUST THE BRAINSTORMING! NOT EVEN ACTUAL WRITING SEGMENTS! *deep breaths* Sorry. I'm really psyched for that story, but it's going to be huuuuuuuge. But, I digress.**

**Yes, there is quite the focus on HP-anything, but the very loose rules of magic in the HP universe gives way to a veeeery large variety of possibilities and creativity. Though, the HP/Star Wars is actually a super x-over, and is set in the Star Wars galaxy, not on Earth. Think I'm up to Nine different fandoms involved? It's MASSIVE. It's mostly complete, and breaks the 1 Million Words mark. Takes place during Episodes 1-3. I'd post it already, but I don't like what I've written to fill the gap b/t Ep 1 and 2, which is fairly early in the story. Like, REALLY don't like it. And what happens in that gap affects the whole story, hence the delay. **

**I'm rambling. I do that a lot. Mostly in person. Thankfully none of you know me. At least, I don't think any of you do. I do this in person and in texting as well. I could just delete all this extrapolatory information, but where's the fun in that? Haha. Yeah, I'm weird. Oh well. It doesn't help I have the attention span of a hyperactive squirrel. My friends from High School were thrilled when **"_Over the Hedge"_**came out back in 2006. I very quickly was dubbed 'Hammy'. Lawls. Good times. Not really. High School sucked. I'm rambling again.**

**This A/N has gotten out of hand. I apologize. None of it contributes to the story. With that sedated note, we shall progress. Well, you will. I'm roughly 10 chapters down the line. And they're all saved on Google Drive this time. One reader of WSN suggested it. I'll give them a shoutout next chapter when I find it. I need this posted so I don't cop-out and tinker with it some more. **

**So! In the interested of ****_not_**** being sued, I must express how I am neither British nor Japanese. Enjoy!**

* * *

_August 1, 2010_

_Kamikura Island_

_._

'_Man, this place is deserted. Is everyone really outside fighting those two women?' _Quick as a shadow, the man darted through the corridors, hardly glancing at the occasional door he passed. '_For how high level this assignment is, so far it's been the easiest assignment yet. Then again, with all the guards distracted, I suppose that's to be expected. It's only two people, how difficult can they be? Then again, Cain is a fucking monster so it's possible.'_

Lost in his thoughts and with his silenced footsteps, he continued his trek through the facility, relying on instinct to find his target. This was made much easier by the aforementioned emptiness of the locale.

A sudden sound froze the man on the spot, and he crouched down into the shadowy corridor. Ahead, a dozen or so military personnel cross the intersecting hall, sprinting towards the battle that was occurring a few moments more, being sure all the sounds were moving away, he pulled out a stick and waved it a few times, before flicking out a ball of light. It went down the way the personnel came from, and the shadowy person darted forward following the small ball of light as it sped ahead, backtracking their footsteps.

His efforts were rewarded when up ahead he saw someone in a lab coat quickly moving with a cart. Following the labtician at a distance, they arrived shortly at a room. The figure watched the lab-donning person practically sprint through the door flanked by two more military men, all on high alert and fingers on the triggers of their weapons.

'_Whatever they've got here must be intense. If I didn't know any better… wait… actually, I don't know any better. That transmission didn't say anything about extraction. Shit! Considering how far I've had to go through this building to even get here, maybe this is a suicide mission for them. Better be quick.'_

The figure darted forward, invisible to all, silent to all as he neared. Approaching the guarded door, he was made aware of four other armed guards nearby, guarding the side halls. Making a snap decision, he pulled out a grenade from his pocket and pulled the pin. With a wave of his hand, he silenced it, then tossed it squarely amongst the grouped men.

Taking refuge behind a makeshift barrier, obviously set up in a 'last stand' type scenario, he counted down before the timed grenade went off. With a bright flash, the modified flashbang grenade stunned all six guards, dropping them where they stood. His success was instantly quelled though, as, to his annoyance, one was apparently taking a drink from a flask, as it's ringing sound from bouncing off the hard floor echoed the hallway. '_FUCK!'_ was his only thought, as the doors sealed shut with several *THUD THUD THUD*.

'_Fuck fuck fuck not good. Goddamn you, Tobias. "Don't take breach charges" he said. "You won't need them" he said. "This is an in-and-out mission" he said. Last time I listen to you, you one-eyed prick.' _The figure checked all three hallways, then pulled out the stick from underneath one of his gauntlets. With several quick flicks, he casted a number of spells down both side halls, and a few extra down the one behind him. '_Hope these guards are worth something. That gray-haired girl looked way too eager to start fighting. Wonder where the busty brunette went? They were hot.' _

Deciding time was against him, he cast a couple more spells down each hall before turning towards the now thrice-sealed doors. '_Ok, unlocking charms are out. I could blast through them, but I have no idea what's behind here. Or who, now that I think about it. Why would there be anyone with a lab coat for a data-extraction mission? I'm missing something. Did we miss part of the transmission? Or… no, if this was a suicide op, a lot of the info would not have been stated in any transmission. They'd have pre-arranged code phrases. But if this was a kidnapping of any sort, why no extraction? What the fuck is going on? Data mining operation maybe? But again, wouldn't need a scientist in a lab coat. What're we missing, what am I missing...' _

While having this internal monologue, he was working the door, casting charm after charm, slowly weakening the door's seals. Several minutes went past, and he was making progress, but slowly. '_Destroy the door, don't destroy the door. Destroy the door, don't destroy. This is taking way too… AHA!'_ Right as he was preparing to change tactics, two of the sealed doors suddenly opened. The third started to, but stopped with only a half-foot gap open.

His reflexes kicked in, as the familiar sight of a gun barrel peaked through, and he rolled sideways as a long string of bullets pelted the area immediately in front of the door. Some obscenities were called out, and yelling at other persons in the room but the man ignored them and just closed his eyes, took several deep breaths and reviewed what he saw.

'_Ok, nothing directly behind the door but two guards. But I didn't quite see anything else. They know someone's coming, so shit's about to hit the fan. Well… for me at least. Fuck you Tobias, "in-and-out" my ass. If nothing behind it, then I can just blast through it, and pray the ricochet doesn't destroy any data. Siege Engine it is. Question is, Battering Ram or Ballistic? Decision decisions...'_

Waving his hand over himself again, his body faded partially from view. '_Whoever managed to kill the lights, thank you very much.'_ He got on all fours, moving quickly about 25 feet in front of the partially opened door. He could just see through the slight gap a mounted machine gun aimed right for him. He had never been more grateful for Shaun's persistence on mastering the disillusionment spell. '_Oh heaven have mercy. This was a great idea. Fuck it, Battering Ram.' _He pulled out the wand again, waved it over himself a few times. "**Inpes impetus" **he muttered repeatedly, before a sudden whine that sounded far too much like the machine gun called his attention. '_Are they seriously shooting blind, or have they somehow detected me? Or worse…'_ he glanced behind him, but didn't see or hear anything.

"FUCK YOU!" he cried out, abandoning all pretense of silence as his enhanced charging attack built up, sprinting all-out at the door and ramming it left shoulder first, blasting it inwards. The right-most part of the sealed door flew straight at the machine gun, taking out the operators. One of which had his hand on the trigger, sprayed half the room with bullets before relinquishing his hold, felling half the scientists.

Resorting to hand-to-hand, the man danced between the remaining personnel, military and scientists alike, engaged each briefly before swiftly dropping them. After the last soldier dropped, dead or unconscious he didn't know, nor care, a sudden klaxon alarm blasted through the room. ***WAA WAA WAA WAA WAA WAA*** '_An alarm? Now? Really?'_

He looked around, and saw, to his surprise, one scientist bleeding from half a dozen holes in his back, at a console, typing as fast as he could. Which, to the still-upright man's immense surprise, was fairly fast, considering he was bleeding to death. He moved over, watching the scientist input information, committing as many commands to memory as he could. And right as the man went to send, he was hit with a red light in the back, dropping him to the floor. '_I probably should've just AK'd him. He's dying anyways. Would've put him out of his misery. Oh well, at least this way he'll die in his sleep. It's more painless that way, right?' _He went to the console, scanning everything he could, and input a few more commands before pulling out a cord from one of his pockets and plugged it in. '_Hmm. That's a moral debate I'm not really interested in having at the moment. Or at all. Best not tell Hermione. Or Ginny. Granted, Ginny might actually agree with me. The Chamber really did a number on her psyche. What the hell? Why are there two girls in here?' _After starting the download, he had turned and scanned the room, waiting for it to finish. And to his surprise, on the far side away from where he was standing, two beds were there, side by side with young girls no older than 10 on them.

He pulled the device out of his pocket, set it on the console, then cautiously moved over to the two girls beds. '_You've got to be shitting me! This is what they were here for? What the fuck is going on!?'_ Both girls had half a dozen tubes running out of them, two of which contained blood, two more with clear liquids in them, and two with different colored liquids. Waving his wand over them, and all the results came back with the same prognosis: not good.

He was so stunned and outraged by the sight he missed the quickly approaching footsteps, and the unmasked gasp of surprise. Too busy clenching and unclenching his fists in anger, he also missed the swinging foot, which caught him completely unawares squarely in the chest, sending him careening into the far wall with an "OOOMPH!"

After the collision, his training kicked in, and dropped into a roll before charging at the newcomer, who spun around for another kick. Not to be caught in another bonebreaker, as his aching ribs were suggesting what happened, he caught the leg and spun in the same direction, throwing its owner into the near wall. The girlish "eek!" rang through his ears, and he took a moment to realize it was the missing brunette he'd seen out front earlier.

"Ah, there you are. As you can see, you're late." The two girls were completely forgotten as he took in the newcomers form, and his hormones were loving what he was seeing: short-cropped brunette hair, with a pigtail out the back, flanking a heart-shaped face, bodacious body and long, slender legs. Yes, he was enjoying the view very much.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO THEM!" the girl declared in flawless English, her violet eyes shining with power as she launched another assault. That it was in English completely flew over the man's head, too distracted by the delicious woman in front of him.

Momentarily entranced by the girl's eyes, he was almost caught by a powerful punch, but his reflex training had him dodging at the last second. He was suddenly extremely grateful for that, as while the punch itself missed, he still felt the backdraft of the displaced air. '_Holy shit, how does a girl punch that hard and that fast? How does anyone?' _He was quite on the defensive, dodging kicks and punches to the best of his ability. Which, while considerable in his not-so-humble opinion, was not nearly enough against the enraged girl whose very punches were making his hair flutter even when they weren't connecting.

He quickly realized he was vastly outmatched. '_No wonder only two were sent. Goddamn, I'm almost afraid of…' "_OOOMPH!" A powerfully misdirected punch from a glowing fist caught him in the gut, and he felt every ounce of the girl's strength behind it. Once again he found himself rolling off a wall, already waving his hand to mitigate the damage to himself. '_I'm hurt. I'm very much hurt. Ok, no more getting punched. That fucking hurts. Her hand was glowing, what the hell? Never thought I'd ever thank Cain for all that torture he put me through that he calls training. I doubt I'd be conscious otherwise.'_

It was obvious the girl was thinking along the same lines, as her enraged demeanor was sharing space with an analytical one, head slightly cocked. "You're much stronger than you look. Is that how you were able to kidnap two helpless Sekirei?"

Between ragged breaths, said man was processing the girl's words and eventually came up with a response. "What…" the word came out with difficulty, a tell-tale sign of how much pain he was in. "Ow… what… fuck... are 'Sekirei'? Damn... you... hit... hard" he breathed, before the actual accusation caught up to him. Never mind the dozens of dead and unconscious soldiers and scientists littering the room. Never mind the kilos of blood painting the decour. Flipping open a pocket on his hip, he pulled out a tube of blue and violet liquid and downed it, the pain relief potion quickly kicking in.

His injuries moderated for the moment, he was able to turn his attention to the woman in front of him, who… for some reason… not only hadn't moved, but was looking at him with a slightly predatory look, and lust? '_That can't be right, I must've hit that wall harder than I thought.'_ He would've acknowledged it, if the girl's accusation hadn't chosen that moment to echo in his head. "Wait, you think I'm the one who kidnapped them? Are you crazy!?" He tried shouting the last, but the extra effort reminded him of the bruised rib, which decided at that moment to hurt thrice as much, despite the pain relief potion. '_Fuck. Time to make a tactical retreat. If she's here for the girls, then maybe she won't follow me. They look in bad shape, so she'll have to choose between them and me.'_

He turned his head slightly downwards, enough so his eyes weren't easily seen, but was still able to see her and the data console out of his peripheral vision. '_Ok, time to get out of here. I really wish I knew Apparation already. I hate portkeys. Wait, portkey! Did they put up any anti-portkey wards? Did I remember to check for them. Years of training and I forget all of it cause of a few pretty girls. FUCK! That shit with Tonks really messing with my head. Get your head in the game, damn it! Now that I think on it, no one tried using magic. If this was ICW sanctioned as Saul believes, where is the wizard support? Or Magical support of any kind. Something is very wrong here.'_

Fast-paced beeping caught both of their attentions, in opposite directions. The male looked at the data console, and his unit and the console itself were indicating the download complete. He looked back at the beds, and the attached monitors were flashing, one having gone flatlined.

'_Oh fuck. That's not good. Well, now I can make my escape. Wait, no, don't look at me like that lady. I didn't do this. SHIT!'_ He dodged out of the way of another powerful kick, this time wild and angry, no doubt at the girl's demise. After completing her spin from the kick, she let out another screech, and suddenly both hands started glowing, right before she jumped at him, both hands clutched together in a fist as she brought them down where he was crouched.

Darting away yet again, he pulled out his wand coming out of the roll, and threw a shield up right as she sent an energy blast from the palms of her hand. In response, he threw an overpowered blasting curse at the girl. It caught her straight in the chest, sending her into the far wall, making an indention.

Using the window, he yanked the cord out of the computer and stashed both in his pocket, then went to the necklace around his neck for his portkey. Pulling it out, he was about to activate it until he heard sobbing. He glanced over, and the girl he'd been fighting was bent over the one who had flatlined, her body shaking as the sobs continued.

'_Wow. Talk about your 180's. Not my problem, though. I should go over there. She'll hurt me again. We can save the girl. It's not our problem! You're going to let a girl die! She's already dead! WE CAN SAVE HER! WALK AWAY! GET YOUR ASS OVER THERE!' _

Groaning at his internal debate, he dropped the portkey down his shirt, and made haste to the beds. Stunning the crying girl, and letting her fall to the floor, he started pushing buttons on the attached machine, inputting several commands, and cancelling others. He quickly but carefully pulled out the needles, healing their insertion points and sealing them. He opened the pocket again, and pulled out several vials that were too large for the pocket they came out of. Uncorking one, he waved his wand and the contents vanished into the girl's stomach. He repeated the process with three more, and was about to do a fifth when a strong grip grabbed his wand arm.

"What do you think you are doing?" the menacing female's voice asked, the grip itself nearly enough to cause him to drop his wand. Not that he needed much help, as the girl being awake already after a stunner as powerful as he used on her was enough of a surprise. "What do you think you are doing?" she repeated, and he found his voice.

"Saving her life, now let me go unless you want her to die" he said with much more bravado than he felt at that moment. '_That's the second time she's snuck up on me without me realizing it. Goddamn, I'm going to be chewed out something fierce for this whole debacle. William's going to be piiiissed. Not to mention Moody. Shit biscuits. And there's no way I'm going to be able to milk my injury to avoid punishment. Fuck me.'_

"She's not going to die" the girl declared adamantly, a sudden serenity in her voice, her eyes hard and determined. He'd have been more curious about the strange look in her eye, if the nearby flatline wasn't echoing in his ears.

"I know, I'm going to save her."

"No… That's not your job" she whispered, looking at the girl, tears threatening to ruin her demeanor as she held her fist to her chest.

"It's what I can do" he declared, yanking his arm back with enough force to break her hold, but almost losing his balance as she'd apparently all but let go already. "I didn't kidnap them. But I can't let them die, either." He banished the last potion, before holding the point of his wand to his forehead. '_May Magic and God forgive me for what I am about to do.' _Pointing the wand at the girl's heart, he gritted his teeth before uttering the cursed word: "**crucio.**"

The girl's body jolted suddenly, arching her back before landing on the bed again. The fact her body reacted at all gave him some semblance of relief. Glancing at the monitor to see no change, he repeated it. It was after the third attempt a heartbeat finally blipped, before a second one. Then a third. He breathed a sigh of relief as the heartbeat regulated itself, and the young girl's chest started moving on its own. He was helped stepping back as the brunette girl darted forward, pushing him back as she felt the girl's pulse with her own fingers. In her haste, and her uncanny strength, she reminded him heartily of the bruised, most likely broken, ribs the man has.

'_Yep. Going to suck purple monkey balls. Oh well, at least she's hot.'_ He pulled out his portkey, and was about to activate before the girl surprised him yet again, this time pulling him into a back-breaking hug, pinning his arms at his side. '_Great. Now my back is broken, my ribs are broken, and I'm getting a stiffy. Fan-fucking-tastic.'_

"Thank you thank you thank you!" she cried, sobbing into his shoulder. '_This girl's emotions are all over the place. She's trying to kill me. She's sobbing over the girl. She's threatening me. Now she's sobbing over me. And Hermione and Ginny say I'M temperamental.'_

"Don't… uh… don't thank me yet" he uttered, the girl's very large endowment evident against his chest. At 5'11 (180 CM), he wasn't much taller than her surprisingly, but he was tall enough that she was able to tuck her head under his chin without too much effort. And to his dismay, his body's age betrayed him as she held him, and the proof of his anatomy made itself known to her. '_Fuck… me… sideways. Now? Of all times, NOW? Thank you, hormones. I fucking hate puberty. Why couldn't I have hit puberty when everyone else did? But noooo, had to be a late bloomer. Goddamn thing won't stay down. And now, here I am, 15 years old, covered in blood and tears, being held by a woman who just kicked my ass, who has a very nice ass herself, and the largest pair I've ever seen or felt, and I'm suddenly hard as a railtie. Fuck. Puberty.' _

In his self-conscious monologue, he missed the girl's gasp of surprise, and her glance down the space between them, as well as the mischievous glint in her eye. He also missed the girl's flushed, red face and her increasingly ragged breaths. He didn't miss the tightened grip though, and certainly didn't miss the sudden rubbing up and down she was doing to him.

"Wha… what are you doing?" he squeaked, his voice breaking as his pupils dilate.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, turning the sexiest look he'd ever seen directed his way, lips partly opened, eyes half shut as she continued grinding him. Her face was tilted just right, lips as close to his as possible without actually touching, then would slide cheek-to-cheek to his ear, nibble it slightly before returning to his lips, hovering just as close again. Her nipples had hardened, and he was somehow able to feel them between his body armor and her outfit. The realization on _how_ hard they would have to be made his situation worsen. His breath was heaving, his blood pumping, and he very quickly realized just how out of depth and out of control of the situation he was, as the girl's pelvis rubbed against his shaft, having adjusted herself so she was slightly straddling his leg.

He was both thankful and cursing the fact his hands were still stuck at his side by the woman's powerful grip: thankful, because he wasn't certain she'd actually appreciate being groped in return. Cursing, because a certain part of his anatomy, and a large part of his brain, was demanding he find out. '_Must squeeze ass. Must run. Must grope. Must escape. BOOBS! FLEE! HOT GIRL GRINDING ME! YOUR MISSION! GETTING LAID!' _

Throughout this, her grinding continued, steadily, neither increasing or decreasing speed. He could feel the strength of her legs as they straddled him. His fingers could just touch her upper thigh, and the moment he made contact, he felt a shock hit his finger tips. She must have felt it too, as she moaned breathily and deeply with her hot breath in his ear, the pace of her grinding increasing.

With the increased pace, her grip on him loosened just enough for him to get all of his fingertips on her, and he felt the perfectly smooth thighs, muscles pulsing as she continued to grind him. The additional touch of his fingers so high on her thighs had the positive effect of increasing her moans, and she pressed herself further into his thigh, grinding hard and fast as his fingers slightly moved back, and found the base of her derriere under her skirt. He ran his fingers along as much as his restricted movements allowed. Rational thought long since gone, he was running purely on instinct now, his fingers feeding the demand to touch as much of her as possible.

And he was rewarded for it. Her body started shaking slightly, muscles twitching where his fingers made contact, and her grip around his back suddenly loosened, as her right hand freed his left and reached for the back of his head, dragging him into a deep kiss. Eyes slamming shut, he ignored the sudden flash of light, too engulfed in the sudden kiss by the woman dominating every single one of his senses. His free hand immediately shot up under her skirt, clutching bare cheek and, with a firm grip, pulled her into him. She moaned in his mouth as her legs suddenly start shaking. The extra vibrations were pushing him over the edge, how he hadn't reached it yet he had no clue, he knew he had a short amount of time before he blew.

She released his other arm, before it pulled at his shirt, ripping part of it as her hand slid in and under his arm, feeling up his bare back. His second hand now free, it too found bare cheek, and pulled her up on her tiptoes, keeping the grinding motion going as her legs continued shudder.

"I'm almost… there... " he grunted, and her fingers tightened on his hair and back.

"Don't stop, don't stop, DON'T STOP!" she cried, before her eyes dilated wide in ecstasy, chest heaving, and her head tilted back and…

***ERR ERR ERR ERR ERR ERR ERR ERR ERR* **

In the darkened room that was being teased by early morning sunlight, a hand shot out and smacked the alarm clock, before a grumbled groan followed. Said hand found a phone next to the blaring alarm, and disappeared under the covers.

"JESUS!" the grumbling male voice called out, as the bright screen nearly blinded him. He threw back the covers, sitting upright, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Ugh… so tired. And that dream again. Third time this week." He checked his phone and saw the time and date, 0700 Japan Standard Time1 on April 1st, 2020. With a groan flopped back on his bed. "Fucking jet lag going to kill me. Slept like three hours."

He rolled over, flecks of daylight streaming in through the window, announcing the upcoming sunrise. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he looked down and groaned again. "Another wet dream. Fan-fucking-tastic. I'm almost 25, and I'm having dreams about being a horny 15 year old feeling up… whoever the fuck she is. Ever since I agreed to make this trip that girl has been in my dreams nearly every night."

"Nerrrr…. Shut up, 'arry" a voice murmured from the pillow next to him. He turned around and looked at the petite blonde laying there, and with a grin, reached over and spanked her where he guessed her bottom was under the blanket.

"OW! Trou du cul!" The girl rolls over and tries to smack him, but he catches her arm and yanks her closer. With a surprised squeak, she landed on his lap. Before she could retaliate, her mouth was covered by a very aggressive kiss, and out of reflex her free hand flew to his raven-black hair and pulled him into it.

Just as quickly as it began, it ended, with the girl slightly cross-eyed, and the man grinning. She shook her head, then punched the man in the shoulder. "Connard! Fais chier!"

"Je m'en fous" he retorted casually with a smirk, before blocking another punch and dragging her into another breathless kiss, this time not breaking off as fast. She managed to pull herself around, not breaking the kiss as she straddled him, both hands now in his hair, pulling it out and pulling him closer at the same time, his fingers teasing the hemline of her boyshorts as she grinded against his cum-soaked boxers.

Just as things were getting heated, another alarm went off.

***WAKING THE DEMON! WHERE'D YA RUN TO?***

"UGGGGH!" Harry groaned, the blonde girl in his lap giggling at his frustration before removing herself from her position. He flopped back on the bed in annoyance.

***WALKING IN SHADOWS, WATCH THE BLOOD FLOW!***

"There's gonna be blood today, I just know it" he grumbled, rolling over to find his phone.

***THERE'S NOT MUCH LONGER SO DON'T TRY AND FIGHT, YOUR BODY'S WEAKENING TO WALK TO THE LIGHT***

He finally found it and with a swipe of his finger turned off the alarm, then dropped his head on the bed with another groan. "Oh Harrr-rry" came a sultry voice, and he turned and looked up to see the blonde girl stripping on her way to the bathroom. "Are you going to listen to its advice, or sit there and complain?" Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared into the lit bathroom.

'_As if there was really a question there'_ the man thought to himself, as he hurriedly got up, stripped and followed her.

* * *

_Hiyamakai Hospital_

_0845 April 1, 2020_

_._

"Ah, Doctor Black. Wonderful to see you again" the man greeted with a bow.

"Mr Kakizaki, greetings and likewise" Harry responded in Japanese, bowing in turn, before shaking the man's hand. "Doing well, I presume?"

"You presume correctly, Doctor Black. I have been very well" the bespectacled man answered, pushing his glasses up by the bridge with two fingers. "And your flight? I take it you had no troubles?"

"Outside of the usual jet lag, none to complain about, no" the slightly taller black-haired man answered as both made their way to the nearest elevator banks. "You'd think I'd get used to it with how much I travel, but it is not to be the case, I'm afraid." With a slight chuckle, the shorter man went to push the button for the top offices, but was stopped by the green-eyed doctor. "If you don't mind, I'd like to check in with my patient, first. Let her know I'm here."

"She's aware of your visit, Dr Black, I assure you. She's most eager to see you."

"If it's all the same to you, Mr Kakizaki, I'd like to say hi anyways." Not liking to divert from his instructions, the skinny man nonetheless acquiesced and pressed the button for the 4th floor, and the elevator closed and glided up to the correct floor.

With a soft *ding*, the doors opened to reveal an annoyed Kakizaki and smirking Dr Black. Stepping off, Dr Black took the lead and headed down to where he knew his patient's room was. Not normally one to get attached to his patients, he had become overly fond of this one, and was uncommonly excited to see her. Smiling to himself, he remembered how he first met the girl.

Two years ago, at her parents' request, he'd taken up her case. Specializing in rare diseases, he was intrigued by the variety of symptoms she was experiencing, and in his morbid fascination that rivaled Gregory House he took the case.

Over the course of the following year, Dr Black had visited every other week, testing out new medicines, seeing if anything worked. Instead of getting annoyed, both Dr Black and his patient were strangely intrigued by the results. While none were any cure, several were able to delay symptoms, a couple even creating various recessions. While nothing to celebrate entirely, all parties were delighted that at the very least, her pain was able to be lessened to the degree she could start going back outside again.

Not a year after he took the case, the parents died in an unfortunate accident. While never hearing the details, as they weren't his to know, he took the time to come and visit her. Not long after arriving, he was holding the girl in his arms as she mourned when a young woman arrived. Shapely in all the right places, long brunette hair, it was then that he met her girlfriend, someone he'd not known of, let alone met, before.

The two almost came to blows: her for thinking he was perving on her girlfriend, him for thinking she was taking advantage of a sick girl. The girl in question had to stop them both before making introductions. Dr B never commented on it, but he'd sensed a strange level of power from the newcomer, but took his patient's word that she was no danger to either of them. Coming to an initially uneasy truce, over the following year the two became good friends.

Well, as good as a concierge doctor could be with his patient's girlfriend. It was a very… interesting… relationship. The fact both of their respective girlfriends were of an open mind about it didn't help matters.

Smiling at the reminiscence, he knocked three times on the patient's door before letting himself in. In his petty delight, he closed it behind him on Kakizaki's face, not bothering to apologize as his patient looked up at the intruder, only to put the "mile" in "smile".

"EJ!" She called out excitedly, throwing her covers back as he strode over to her.

"Gingerbread!" he answered, wrapping her in a hug, taking care not to hurt her, but enough to show his enthusiasm at seeing her again. They held each other for a few minutes, taking comfort in each other before breaking apart. He kissed her forehead, cupping it to his chest in a last squeeze before pulling a chair over. "I have great news for you, Ginger." She smiled at the pet name, before encouraging him to continue. "I found the cure."

Her eyes widened in shock, mouth agape. "Really?" she squeaked, not daring to raise her hopes up.

"Really" the man repeated, reaching out and taking her hands. "I discovered what your disease actually was." If possible, her jaw dropped further. He had a momentary vision of a cartoon character, before he reached out and slowly closed it. He slowly caressed her cheek as a thumb slid up to wipe away a stray tear that had formed, her eyes betraying the storm of emotions she was experiencing.

In answer to her unasked question, he nodded with a soft smile. "Quite by accident, I'll admit. I was visiting an old archive when the caretaker came along. She asked about what I was searching for and I gave her a brief explanation. It just so happened she had been in the middle of rewriting damaged, old medical logs, and the one she'd been working on was what I was looking for. I read through it and voila, there it was. The cure was admittedly more complex, but only in the difficulty of obtaining the necessary ingredients to create it. I delved into some uncommon medicines, but alas, here I am."

The auburn-haired girl was nearly in open tears by this point, true hope in her eyes for the first time in a long while. "The vials should have arrived yesterday. I am heading up to speak with Higa about God-knows-what. Why he seems to think I answer to him, I am not sure." He murmured the last, before shaking his head and smiling his reassurance at the girl. "The healing process will take a while. Partly because of the nature of the disease itself, partly because of the atrophy of your body. But, I promise you, you'll be walking and running by yourself by Christmas."

With that proclamation, the girl used all of her energy to throw herself into his arms, openly sobbing tears of joy. The black-haired man just held her, hand rubbing her back slowly in comfort, the other near her shoulders, holding her in place. While likely improper for a doctor-patient relationship, neither were particularly concerned at the moment, just holding onto each other with the joy they each felt.

It was to this sight that the door opened, and a busty brunette walked in - a frown on her face at the intruder, before recognition set in - and hurried over to him. "EJ-sama!" she exclaimed, being all the warning he had before the brunette crashed into him, but not hard enough to dislodge the auburn girl in his arms.

"Well hello to you too, Sunblossom. It's good to see you again." He freed his left from being pinned and wrapped it around the newcomer, who squeezed him tighter, enough he felt his back pop. '_One of these days I'm going to find out how she's so bloody strong.'_

"It's good to see you again, EJ-sama. How've you been? Is Gabby-san here with you?"

"Yeah, she came with. She's currently looking at houses for us."

Both girls leaned back and gasped, before squealing and hugging him tighter.

Before any more discussion could be had, the door opened again, and an annoyed Kakizaki stepped into the room. "Doctor Black, Higa-Sama does not appreciate being kept waiting."

He had to fight back several retorts, and an audible groan at the man's interruption. Judging by the looks on the girls' faces, they were in similar positions, though the girl nicknamed Gingerbread was less reluctant to hold back, as she let out a whiny "awwww!" Harry just smiled at her, then bumped his forehead against hers with a wink as he stood up.

"I'll be back in a bit, girls. This shouldn't take too long." He squeezed the brunette's shoulder with a smile before turning a scowl towards the shorter man as he stepped out of the room. While he missed the quick flash of a superior-esque smirk towards the two girls, the brunette did not, and scowled as well at the man's back.

"What was that about?" the brunette asked her girlfriend, who burst into another wide smile before patting the spot next to her.

"Sit and I'll tell you!" she exclaimed, not even attempting to hide her excited eagerness, excitement the brunette quickly succumbed to as she climbed in and the girl began relaying the information. Down the hall, Dr Black and co heard the squeal of delight they both knew to come from the girl's room, and the young doctor couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"Ah, Doctor Black, welcome." Harry was greeted by a man who appeared to be in his low 20s. Izumi Higa - '_Is it an insult to say a Japanese name given name first, surname second? Not that I care in regards to him, but I should probably ask about that' -_ wore well kept brown hair that framed his baby-smooth and stubble free face, and a white suit worth more than most in the hospital will make in a month. The man's sharp brown eyes were constantly analyzing everything, sure sign of a man who searched and exploited every weakness he could take advantage of. Doctor Black had hated the man from the get-go. He had the misfortune of meeting him for the first time a year prior. That it had been not long after meeting his lovely brunette friend remained an unfortunate coincidence in his mind.

If the man's very look didn't annoy him enough, being described as a "bishounen" by his Gingerbread, the man's voice always grated Harry, as it reminded him all too much of a blonde ferret from home. It didn't help the boy's case that he looked like he was still a teenager. Had Harry himself not had an extensive and thorough background check done on the guy, Harry would never have believed that he was nearing 30. '_Small world. Other side of it and finding doppelgangers of people from back home. I'm almost worried about who else I'll run into. If I run into another Cain, I'm leaving. I've had enough broken bones to last several lifetimes.'_

"Higa, how are you?" Harry answered in kind, exchanging the nearly imperceptible bows between them before shaking hands. It had taken Harry a long time, with some help from the two girls downstairs, to learn when and _how_ to bow, and what each level of bows represented. Along with that was learning the honorifics. Well… _learning_ was a strong word, as Harry's efforts on them ended about a day after they began. '_If only learning the honorifics had been as easy as learning the language. For real, how is learning a language simpler than learning the mannerisms accompanying them?'_

"I've been well, thank you for asking. If it's all the same to you, I'd appreciate if we could get down to business. I've a busy day ahead of me, and I'm sure you do as well." Without waiting for an answer, the… man… turned and moved back behind his desk, taking his seat. '_He really thinks a lot of himself up here. His hands are so soft, I wonder if he's ever lifted anything heavier than a glass of wine. If he's ever carried a book in his life I'll eat my wand.'_

Using every Occulmency trick he knew, Harry kept his business casual face on, absent of emotion and quickly debated between taking one of the seats in front of the desk, or one of the couch seats, just to piss the man off. While doing so, he slowly gazed around the room. As much as he despised doing so, he had to admit the man had taste. His gaze landed on the woman standing behind him. She was wearing a long, light purple outfit that looked a cross between a frilly corset and a business long skirt. Her pale grey hair confused Harry a bit, as she didn't look to be older than he was. '_Orientals. Extremely deceptive with their ages. She could be 21 or 51 and I'd have no idea. Is that racist? Strange how your internal thoughts can confuse you at times. And now I'm commenting on my internal thoughts. I really am losing it.' _The stoic, all-business look was completed with a datapad in one arm and half-moon glasses, that she chose at that time to push up. '_Fuck me. If she's the Dumble-dick of Japan I'm outta here. Then again, she is awfully attractive… are those violet eyes? Heh. Just like the girl from that dream I keep having.'_

Without anything further to delay his decision, and with an internal sigh, he moved to stand behind one of the chairs, and waited until invited to sit before doing so. '_Best to play nicely for the time being. Can't have him making Chiho's life any more difficult than it already is. If only I could transfer her to another hospital, but I distrust the M.B.I. one even more than I do this one. Gah. This is why I don't get close to my patients. Bloody hormones.'_

His rear had barely touched cushion before the boyish man began speaking. "I asked you to come here today to discuss the discontinuation of treatment for Hidaka Chiho." If the raven-haired man hadn't already been completely apprehensive of this meeting, the very sudden and direct approach from _Higa_ of all people would've flummoxed him. That being said, the fact he had the gall to openly make a claim as such that could be interpreted as ordering him around would've had Harry's hackles up. That is, if they hadn't already been from the moment Kakizaki told him Higa wanted to talk.

"Is that so?"

"It is. We no longer feel your treatments for the young lady are having any positive effect. As such, we are abrogating your position as her primary physician, and bringing in another specialist more capable of treating her. In the meantime, she will be properly taken care of by the doctors in-house." Not for the first time, Harry had to wonder just what sad excuse of healthcare workers Higa had hired here if that's what they truly thought. The fact that by all accounts, his patient should've died over 18 months prior due to her illness and hadn't because of Doctor Black's direct interference was of course no nevermind.

It took a remarkable amount of willpower for Harry not to lean over the desk and smash the man's face into it. But, he didn't want to get blood on the lovely desk. "Hmm. That is unfortunate."

Though hiding it very well, the smirk of superiority was not completely hidden from the sharp-eyed doctor. If detecting such things was an art form, Harry would've won every award possible for them after dealing with the Malfoys and their ilk for the past decade. '_Never thought I'd have a reason to actually thank him. Not that I actually will, it'd just shove that stick further up his ass and he'd enjoy that too much. He and Zabini should just leave their wives. It's not as if their relationship has ever been a secret.'_

"You've done wonderfully, and Miss Hidaka thinks highly of you, as does her female companion, but her treatment must come first." The word choice again had Harry's hackles up.

"Her name is Uzume. And you seem to have misunderstood my meaning, Higa. It is unfortunate that you think you have any say in the matter."

A slight raising of the eyebrow was the initial response. '_That has to be a pampered, rich-kid thing: Malfoy, Greengrass, Selwyn, Tanto, Sanchez-Ramirez, even that American brat, Montgomery, they've all done it as long as I've known them. Is there like a tutor for that? Did I miss that class?'_

"I'm aware of what her name is, Doctor Black. And as I am the director and owner of this hospital, I have the last say on who can and cannot treat my patients." Harry failed to contain his snort that time, an act that had Higa frowning, and the unknown woman behind him's mouth twitching a smirk before returning to her stoic surveillance of the meeting.

"And the fact that it is a public hospital is no nevermind to you, is it, Higa? You're not the owner. If it were a private hospital, I would never have been able to begin treatment two years ago without the hospital's sign-off. If it were a private hospital, Miss Hidaka would not be here in the first place. If it were a private hospital, we would not be having this conversation."

"Be that as it may, you are employed by this establishment, and your services-" Higa began, frustration beginning to creep along his well-sculpted face.

Harry was having none of it though. "My services are paid for by my client. Not you" he finished, any pretend pleasantries thrown out the window, as both men were now openly sneering at each other. "The Japanese Healthcare System hasn't spent a single yen on my being here. Miss Hidaka has. You, and your so-called interest in your patients' care, hadn't so much as looked me up to even examine her. However, her parents, rest their souls, not only managed to contact me directly, a feat in itself, but paid for my first flight here and provided lodging as a sign of good faith."

"Well, she won't be paying for your services any longer" the man snarled. Harry really wanted to punch him, as even with making the most disgusting face possible, he still looked fit to be a boy-band poster boy. '_Is that the real meaning of bishounen? Being impeccably good looking despite being the ugliest fucker around? Maybe Negan had the right idea. A hardware store, 50 bucks and 10 minutes, I'll have my own bat just like his.'_

"And why, pray tell, do you seem to think she won't be doing so?" the green-eyed doctor demanded. And it was a demand, as little did Higa know, Harry hadn't even billed Chiho yet.

Or did he know? The man's superior smirk returned, and it wasn't just the I'm-better-than-you one, it was the one that said the slightly elder man knew something the younger did not.

"Miss Hidaka Chiho is now broke. She has accumulated a debt that she is unable to pay off. Being the altruistic man that I am, I have picked up the debt and settled it. That includes any and all outstanding medical fees she's accumulated."

"And since when does a hospital director become involved in their patient's financial lives? I daresay that violates a dozen laws, both medically and professionally speaking, just discussing the idea, let alone taking any action on it."

"My patient's financial matters are no longer any concern to you, Doctor Black. Nor are my own, for that matter. Effective immediately, your services to my patient are cancelled. I'll expect your final bill soon."

Recognizing the dismissal, and quickly deciding, once again, against conjuring a bat and smashing the man's face to pieces, he stood up. "You'll be returning my equipment and treatments to me. I'll expect them by the end of the day."

"Once we have evaluated them to ensure nothing is of this hospital's origin, they will be returned."

"You mean once you've copied the designs and formulae and adopted them to your own? No, I don't think so. You'll have them returned immediately. The equipment are my own creation, and are patented on the international level. Many of the formulae are of my own creation as well, and all are also patented. Feel free to check for yourself. Any attempts at copying them will see you slapped with an injunction from the World Health Organization, as well as a lawsuit my own company." Harry was already formulating his alternative options, cause he'd be damned if he just let this snot-nosed asswipe tell him what to do.

"Certainly, an adequate businessman like yourself understands just the amount of damage a simple lawsuit can do. Whether I win it or not, and I would win it hands down, the simple accusation of patent infringement would see every one of your competitors suddenly scrutinizing everything from your contracts to product designs. I daresay stockholders wouldn't take it too well either."

"I do not appreciate being threatened, Mr Black" the man snarled, fists clenching and unclenching. Harry found himself mildly impressed he even realized he was being threatened. Then again, he reluctantly amended, he wasn't as stupid as Harry wished he was. The woman behind Higa remained stoic, but Kakizaki's voice could be heard on the phone. Who he was calling, Harry was certain he'd find out soon.

"And I don't appreciate the sad attempts at dictating what I will and won't do, Higa-kun." While Harry's knowledge of honorifics was, admittedly, limited, he had taken the time to learn the insults. Because, after learning "Where's the bathroom?", what else would you prioritize in another language? "You forget the fact I still don't answer to you. And while you may have somehow taken control of Chiho's finances, you are not the shot-caller on her care. She is. And so long as she wants me as her Doctor, I will remain so, regardless of your deceptive attempts at forcing the inverse. And believe me, I will be looking into why you have been so determined to pull me off her case."

"She has no money to pay for your services, Black." The volume of the man's voice was raising, and Harry was inwardly surprised that it was actually deepening as it did so.

He cocked a full-blown smirk at the angry, little man. "Then I'll do it pro-bono, as is my right. I'm a concierge doctor. I control the rates I charge my clients. Outside of the patient themselves, I am the only one who decides whether or not I treat them, as is also my right. You are not the patient, her guardian, nor her power-of-attorney, so you have absolutely no right whatsoever to tell me what I will and won't be doing with _MY _patient.

"As you're likely already aware, I've not charged Chiho in some time. After this little encounter, I no longer feel the need to. Therefore, any hold you had over her or I in regards to her treatment is now defunct. I _will_ continue treating her, and I _will_ see her removed from this hospital. And I _will _be filing several complaints with the Japanese Healthcare system for your blatant attempts at sabotaging a patient's care. I promise you that." He turned and headed towards the door, only to see it open and a girl with purple hair donning a magenta bow enter, followed by a woman in a black and red sleeveless kimono.

"You have no proof or grounds upon which to make such a complaint" he heard from behind the desk, and turned towards the angry boy one last time.

"If you truly believe that, Higa-kun, then you are not nearly intelligent enough to be behind that desk. Good day." With that, he gave another inquisitive glance at the bespeckled woman and the two girls before turning and leaving.

* * *

Harry was assaulted the moment he was recognized as he entered the patient's room. "EJ-sama! What'd Higa-san want?" The brunette girl got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, before dragging him over to the bed where Chiho was.

He half-smiled at her enthusiasm, and he was truly happy to see them, but the recent discussion was still running through his head. "Before I answer that, I've a personal and intrusive question to ask you, Chiho, and I need you to be completely honest with me." He sat at the foot of the girl's bed as Uzume crawled up next to her. Both girls wore concerned looks, as it was rare for him to be so serious.

"Ok, EJ-sama. What is it?" she answered in a soft voice.

"Higa has informed me that you are facing some financial concerns." Uzume's eyes furrowed in confusion, but Chiho's suddenly looked panicked, confirming what he was afraid of. "Is it true?"

On the verge of tears, she leaned into Uzume's shoulder, who was connecting the dots while she held the lithe girl. "He's forcing you to terminate treatment, isn't he?" she asked, her eyes widening in fear as she pulled the girl tighter.

"He certainly tried to" Harry admitted, and Chiho let out a loud sob. He leaned over and laid a hand on her leg. "Hey, I said he tried to. I didn't say he succeeded."

"But... *sniff* … Higa-san has control of my finances now. If he's not paying for it anymore, I can't make him do otherwise" she broke into a fresh set of sobs as Uzume held her close.

Sighing softly, Harry stood and moved to her other side, half-sitting on the bed next to the girl. "Hey, look at me, Gingerbread." Chiho turned from her perch, but didn't release her hold on the brunette. "Do you really think I'm just going to quit on you when we're so close? I've spent two years looking into how to cure your disease. Two years. That's the longest I've ever had to look for anyone, and I specialize in rare diseases. I'm not about to give up just because some self-righteous, egotistical rich kid thinks he is more important than he is."

Despite everything she was fearing, the young auburn snorted a laugh at that, getting a chuckle from her brunette companion, who laughed even harder at the small girl's playful slap.

"So that's all I am to you, a special case, huh?" the girl asked. Her look was one of accusation and distrust, which at first had Harry thrown off and more than slightly hurt. But her eyes were telling a different story, full of mischief they were, and once the green-eyed man saw that, he slumped in defeat. "You're a brat, you know that?" The fresh wave of giggles from her, and the open laughter from the brunette, eased the sudden tension Harry was feeling, as he shook his head at being teased.

"Oh, you love me and you know it" she declared, before leaning over and hugging him as tight as her atrophic body could manage.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. You know I'll get you for that, right?" With a very girly "EEK!" she returned to Uzume's arm.

"Uzume will protect me from the big, bad doctor. Won't you, Uzume?"

She turned puppy eyes on the brunette, who instantly succumbed to their power and wrapped her arms around them, before adamantly declaring, "By the power vested in me, I, Uzume, doth declare myself knight-maiden of House Hidaka! All shall perish before my… EEEK!" Her epic declaration to the world was interrupted by a surgical tickle at the spot just below the armpit, which instantly had her flailing about.

"Mercy! MERCY! I YIELD!" she whined between shrieks, holding her side trying and failing to fight off the raven-haired man's assault. Her charge was in tears laughing at her newly-appointed 'knight-maiden's' plight, as the green-eyed man sat back with a smug look on his face. "You are evil" she finally managed, after getting her breath back and adjusting her shirt.

"'I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none'." Uzume froze in her adjusting, before glancing curiously at the raven-haired man before returning to her chore. Chiho turned a questioning face towards him, and he only shrugged in return. "Maybe not the best context for that quote, but I thought it suited it well."

"You like MacBeth, I see" Uzume stated, looking up at him. Harry had to do a mental check for how she came to that conclusion, before mentally face-palming himself.

"Admittedly, no, I don't. I got it from a movie, '_V for Vendetta'_." Uzume just gawked at him, before she and Chiho burst out laughing. "What? It's a good movie!" That just had them cackling harder, to which he just folded his arms and grumbled. It was some time before they got around to discussing what happens next for her treatment.

* * *

**A/N: Probably should've put this at the beginning, but better late than never. This story is self-Beta'd. My previous Beta and I had a falling out. If y'all know of someone willing, capable and trustworthy, whether yourself or another, please PM me.**

**Also, my grip on Japanese honorifics is... tenuous, at best. Despite the quantity of manga and anime I absorb, those have never sunk in. Nor, admittedly, do they matter to me. Harry Potter/ EJ Black will reflect that lack of knowledge and care. There will be a lot of Japanese customs broken by my carefree protagonist, many of which will be acknowledged. I apologize if this offends anyone for whichever reason you may concoct. **

**Thankfully, I've been informed that in familiar settings, they are not necessary. Particularly between close friends and... other... relations. As this plays very well into how my version of HP acts with those he considers closest, he'll reflect that. **

**Further, my knowledge of the Japanese Health System is zilch. That being said, remember that A) this is fiction, B) per canon, MBI has their claws DEEP into Japan, Tokyo specifically, which affects a lot of things and C), I can do what I want with my story, but I will try to keep certain things as realistic as possible in a story about aliens, magic and powers. So, correct me if you must, but accept a looot of actualities will be ignored or outright dismissed in favor of the story. **

**Also, assume everything after the preamble is spoken in Japanese unless said otherwise.**

**1: If Japan has different names for their local time zone(s), I apologize. Japan Standard Time is what I was able to discover thru research available in English or Spanish. The majority of this story will occur in Tokyo, where _Sekirei_ takes place. If anyone knows a more regularly used local term for the time zone, and data to support it, please PM me with it.**


	2. Do You Want to Play a Game?

**AN: Fair warning, this chapter rambles. I toyed with it, deleted and re-wrote it. It kept coming out the same. It's stuck being a filler-with-plot-development because of what the next chapter entails. Think of it as every Episode 2 of a new TV show. It's awkward. It's very awkward.**

**Warning! Lemon-lime at the end!**

**Despite my drinking tea as I'm writing this - Jade tea with a glob of honey, do NOT yell at me - I think that's enough proof I'm neither Japanese nor British. **

* * *

_April 1, 2020_

_1630 JST_

_._

_'For all the effort I put into learning Japanese, I still can't read it worth a damn. Which one of these shops is a grocery store?'_ So lost in his thoughts he wasn't looking where he was going and ran into someone. With a crack of heads, both men landed on the ground in surprise.

"Sorry about that" both men stated, before looking at each other. To both their surprise, they looked strangely similar. Both had unkempt black hair, both were on the tall side, with a wiry build. At least, one was wiry, the other just lanky. While the wiry had vivid green eyes, the lanky one had softer hazel ones.

Climbing to his feet, the more muscular of the two went to offer a hand to the other, only to see he had done the same for him. Both laughed at the awkwardness, before dusting themselves off. "Sorry about that" the thinner of the two offered again.

"No, not your fault. I wasn't paying attention" the other waved off, the English accent lilting through his Japanese. The hazel cocked a look at him, surprised to have bumped into a foreigner. "I was so lost in thought I wasn't paying attention to anything."

It took a minute for the scrawnier of the two to respond. The slightly taller man fixed him with an inquisitive look. "Ah, me too" the first offered, rubbing the back of his head at being caught staring. "I got some bad news today and it's been bothering me."

"Heh, you too, eh?" the other said, running his fingers through his hair. "Been a crazy day, that's for sure." Mid-stroke, the green-eyed man realized something. "Hey, think you could help me with something?" Confused, the younger nodded his assent. "Cool. You probably guessed I'm not Japanese, not that it's all that difficult to tell. While I speak it fairly well, at least I think I do, I still have difficulty reading it. Could you direct me to the nearest grocery store?"

With another confused look, the man turned and pointed at a market about two blocks down; the vegetable and fruit stands were on open display on the sidewalk. The green-eyed man just stared for a moment before facepalming. "Of course. Cause why wouldn't it be that easy? Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. I've missed my street twice because I was lost in thought, and I live here. It happens." With a shared chuckle, the green-eyed man said his thanks and made to continue his trek when a sudden "LOOK OUT!" got both their attention and they looked up. In the few seconds they had, one froze in confusion at what he was seeing. The other, however, like the pervert he was, enjoyed the panty flash, before his reflexes kicked in. The green-eyed man wandlessly cast a cushioning charm on the ground behind him only a blink before both men were landed on by the buxom brunette in a white gi and pink skirt.

"Owww, I'm sorry!" the girl whined, holding her head.

"Twice in as many minutes, I'm on a roll" the green-eyed man remarked. "At least this one is a cute girl" he added, before looking down at the woman. If he wasn't already on his back, he'd have been floored at the sight. The girl was a near copy of the one he'd been dreaming about, the biggest difference was her eyes, which reminded him greatly of Hermione's deep chocolate ones. But unlike his former bushy brunette friend, these one's were full of the innocence he often saw in Luna's. Which made him internally snort, because if there was a bigger pervert than Luna, he'd not met them.

A sudden gasp, sputtering and hasty exclamations had him leaning around the girl, seeing the fellow raven-head sporting a bloody nose. He was momentarily confused by it, until he realized that the man had a front-row view up the girl's skirt. _'Bloody nose from one of the best views Man has ever laid eyes on. I swear it's a condition. I remember when Neville accidentally walked in on Davis and Luna going at it. His nose bleed lasted for three hours.'_

Speaking of Neville, Harry realized something else: this girl had the same strange power that Uzume did, not that the tangent would've made any sense whatsoever to anyone else. Now that he thought on it, still laying there with the pretty girl straddling him, the grey-haired girl in Higa's office did as well. He'd noticed it on the way out the door. _'Those two I saw as I left, them also. I've never been one to believe in coincidence. But what are the odds?'_

He was brought out of his thoughts by the girl's shifting. He looked down and saw that the other boy had disentangled himself and was holding his bleeding nose while on his knees. The exchange had left the girl sitting on Harry's pelvis. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have tried jumping from that high. Thank you, sirs, both of you, for catching me!" she exclaimed, looking between both ebony-haired men.

"No pwobwem" the one on his knees answered, muffled by the bloody nose that was receding.

"A pretty girl like you can land on me anytime" Harry remarked. While not the classiest thing to say, he expected some kind of response.

Instead, the girl just cocked her head and stared at him with the same look he'd given her earlier. To his surprise, her brown eyes flickered violet for a moment, before her attention diverted as if listening for something. Harry himself suddenly sensed something as well, his instincts telling him to move. Before he could, the girl grabbed Harry and the other boy's hands and dived out of the way with another "LOOK OUT!"

A sudden explosion on the ground where he had been laying had him raising his head from the sidewalk in confusion. He glanced at the male companion, and had to fight back a laugh as the girl was laying on him again, her chest in his face, and he was both red from embarrassment, and turning blue from lack of oxygen. _'Lucky bastard. Good way to die, though: suffocation from boobage. Cleavage asphyxiation. Gotta be better jokes than that. Malignant mammaries! Hahaha… ehhh… I laugh at my own jokes way too much.'_

"Come on and fight us!" a loud voice called out, and Harry got to his feet and looked around warily. Not seeing the voice, he scanned the buildings, and there, on a tower nearby, were two women in S&M outfits.

_'May the sun never set on Japan. God bless it. Big-titted women falling from the sky, dominatrix-esque women chasing them around. All done in daylight and public. Such a wonderful country, isn't it?'_

"I'm not going to fight you, yet! Not until I find my Ashikabi!" The perverted, green-eyed man looked down at the brunette with a raised eyebrow of his own, the word _ashikabi_ ringing a distant bell, like a lone bell in a mansion, but he was unable to place it.

"Not unless we take you out first!" one of the girls called out, before both jumped down from their perch. Harry had to fight his instinct to use a cushioning charm, operating under the assumption they wouldn't have jumped if they weren't sure they would've made it. Then again, considering what the brunette girl in the gi had said, maybe they wouldn't have.

His contemplation was quickly put to rest, though, as the two girls, twins he realized as they approached, landed without so much as a grunt, before walking over to them. Taking the time to openly check them out, not even bothering to hide, he took notice of several things: one, that while they were identical twins, their chest sizes were vastly different. The one in the dark violet appeared on par with the brunette in bust, whilst the one in magenta seemed more apt to what he'd come to expect of the stereotypical Japanese woman.

_'Y'know, I wonder how much the gi is covering up? Just from appearances alone, I'd say she was nearing Hana's size. Gabby would love to meet her. Hmm, I should probably give Hana a call now that we're back in Japan. Could surprise Gabby with bringing her back to the hotel. Should probably call her, while I'm at it. Find out if she picked a house for us, yet. I didn't go through all that trouble buying property for nothing. Not that I actually did any work in doing that. M.B.I. really doing their best to buy up the whole damn city.'_

"You two should walk away before you get hurt." That declaration snapped Harry out of his thoughts, and a curious look was turned towards the two girls.

"Excuse me?" he asked, his hands moving to his side.

"You deaf or just stupid?" the other girl asked, stepping up to her more buxom sister. "She said, walk away before you get hurt."

"Ok" he answered simply, before reaching down and helping the girl and fellow man up. "Let's go, missy. I'm hungry, let's get some food." He turned towards the guy. "You're welcome to come along with as well." He looked surprised, and was making to beg off before being interrupted.

"No, not her. She stays" the one in violet declared, pointing at the brunette.

"Why? You just told us two to walk away."

"I said you and the other guy, moron" she replied, red creeping into her complex.

He made a show of thinking it over, eyes rolling upwards and everything. "Nooo, you said 'you two should walk away before you get hurt'. You didn't specify which two. No offense to my man, here" he clapped the smaller man on the back, "but she's better looking. Plus, she did use me as a landing pad, so it's only proper she repay me by gracing me with her company for lunch." Without waiting for a response, he took the girl's hand and tugged it as he turned his back on the twins.

Too surprised, the girl instinctively went with him, openly confused and still trying to process everything that was being said. The second man just shrugged before following, deciding that turning down a free meal was a dumb idea. He had only taken a couple steps when he turned to farewell the girls, when he saw what looked like lightning coming off their hands. He immediately dived towards the two in front of him, screaming "LOOK OUT!"

Harry, who had been expecting the girls to do _something_, was caught off guard by the other man tackling him to the ground. He was also surprised to see the bolt of lightning fly over his head and hit one of the fruit stands at the nearby market stall. _'So, I didn't imagine it, they're throwing lightning around. Are they witches, using magic in public? Not even trying to hide it. Well done, Potter, only been back here a day and already found trouble. Higa doesn't count.'_

Rolling to his feet, he caught sight of the two girls throwing another handful of lightning at them. Without hesitation, he put his hand up, preparing to deflect it.

Except he was once again caught off-guard. This time the brunette had grabbed his other hand, and was speeding down the sidewalk fast enough that his feet weren't even touching the ground. His brain was wanting to make some sort of Superman comment, but the rest of it was still working on processing the fact this girl was moving fast enough to even achieve that.

_'Shit, even I can't move this fast when transformed. Who the hell is this girl? Who the hell were those two?'_ Another lightning bolt just missing them had him correcting his internal monologue. _'Ok, "are those two". And I'm still hanging… wait, what happened to the other guy?' _With some difficulty, he was able to turn his body and he saw a mirrored sight, albeit more comical, as the skinnier black-haired man was flopping like a rag doll while also being dragged. _'Ok, so she's got both of us in hand, and is running fast enough that neither of us are touching the ground. Right. Y'know, I live in a world of magic. I've seen and done some ridiculous and crazy things. But this… this might already top it off. I've never heard of any sort of speed charm… wait, did she even cast anything?'_

He closed his eyes again, rehashing the past five minutes and realized that the only magic he openly detected was the two women's attacks. Before delving deeper, the girl made a sudden turn, and the other boy flopped into him. A sudden jump by the same girl saw the two of them up on a rooftop. And as expected, the sudden stop left the two boys rolling to a stop, though the green-eyed with much more grace than the other, as after one he was back on his feet.

**_"Now that I think about it, I could have just ran away by myself"_** the girl began, sinking to her knees and holding a padded fist to her mouth. **_"I don't know why I grabbed you like that"_** she said, looking at the other raven-haired. She turned her head, seeming lost in thought before she registered Harry was standing there looking at her. "Oh goodness, I grabbed you, too! I'm so sorry!" She all but squealed the last part, bowing her apologies.

"It's ok, that was pretty fun, actually" Harry dissuaded, grinning at the apologetic girl, who smiled in response.

She got to her feet again, and after dusting herself off, stepped towards him. "They call me Musubi."

"EJ" Harry replied, offering his hand. She took it, and in a moment of spontaneity, leaned down and kissed her knuckles. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." She giggled, her eyes sparkling violet again, before the chocolate brown took hold as she turned towards the other raven-haired. He followed her gaze, and saw the boy… and in Harry's eyes, he didn't look much more than a boy, now that he was actually looking him over… still stunned at the whole thing, and kept lightly squeezing his hand like something was missing.

_'Has he never touched a girl before? Poor guy. Did he manage to cop a feel when I wasn't looking? You sly dog. You'd think she'd have commented on it if he had, but, then again, she seems very innocent, so she may not have realized the implications of it.'_

"... Sahashi Minato" he heard the boy say, and he realized the girl was bent over in front of him. He took the free look and observed her derriere, and was not disappointed in what he saw. _'Firm, with just the right amount of jiggle. The kind to slap and watch it bounce before spanking it, then slowly caressing and…' _His gutter thoughts were cut short as the girl in question suddenly collapsed, and his medical training kicked him into action. He began running wandless diagnostics, taking care to hide most of his actions from Minato.

He used his fingers to check her pulse, but his count was lost when a sudden grumbling came from the girl's stomach, and Harry nearly collapsed from laughing so hard.

"Is she ok? What's wrong? What can I do?" Minato was working himself up to a panic until he heard the grumbling and the older man's laughter.

"Not to worry, bud. She's just hungry. After running from those two girls and dragging us along like she did, she's running low on fuel. Get some food into her, she'll be fine."

"My place is only a couple blocks away, we can take her there."

Harry thought it over. Admittedly, he didn't actually have a better idea. While he liked the idea of bringing her back with him, doing so with an unconscious girl would look reeeeeally bad. Then again, he quickly surmised, carrying an unconscious girl anywhere looks really bad.

"Alright, that'll do for now. That looks like an access door to the roof, we can use it to get to the elevator or stairs."

"What if those two girls come back? She could get hurt if she's unable to defend herself." His standing in Harry's eyes had went up a bit at the initial offer of using his place. And it went up a bit more at his show of concern for the downed girl.

"I'll worry about that. They show up, you can take Musubi and keep going, I'll handle the girls."

The younger man looked incredulous. "How?!" he all but yelled. "They were shooting lightning from their hands!"

"I've got my ways, don't worry about it" Harry answered vaguely, before turning completely towards him. "So, how do you want to do this? Carry her together, or throw her over your shoulder and fireman carry her?"

The man had a thoughtful look, before turning red and more blood spilt out his nose, and Harry had to fight back the laughter at the man's sudden embarrassment at whatever dirty thoughts he came up with.

* * *

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Musubi cried, stuffing her face with two burgers. Harry hadn't taken to the idea of just cooking several pounds of rice, so he'd gone and gotten enough burgers for a feast. Good thing, too, as the girl had already eaten 5 and was double fisting two more, alternating between them as she ate.

Minato had abandoned all pretense of eating, and was openly staring at her consumption of the meaty delights. Well… meat is a strong word to use when describing fast food, '_but it's the thought that matters'_, he supposed. At least, that's what he was trying to convince himself of, while staring open mouthed at the feasting girl.

"You truly are saviors Minato-sama, EJ-sama! Breaking my fall, then getting me here safely, and feeding me! Thank you!" Her eyes had turned misty and kitten-like, and Harry knew she could get whatever she wanted out of the younger boy if she tried. He almost felt bad for the lad, but was enjoying the guy's uncomfortable situation too much. _'How bad can having a hot girl like that wanting your attention really be?'_ No sooner had he thought it than a sudden chill slipped up his spine, and he shivered at the feeling. _'No, I did NOT just jinx myself. Oh shit, what've I gotten myself into, now?'_

"It's- it's alright, just eat!" was Minato's reply, begging off again. She saluted him with a "yes, sir!" before continuing to devour her food. "I've never seen anyone collapse from an empty stomach before" he muttered, more to himself than anything. Harry didn't think he realized he'd spoken aloud, so said nothing.

The burger in the girl's saluting hand had smacked her cheek and left some juice on it, and both boys were treated to watching the juice trail down the cheek to her chin. Ignorant of the other's thoughts, both were actually thinking the very same thing, but having different reactions: Minato, in his innocence, was growing red and yet again bleeding from his nose. Harry was shifting uncomfortably, his loose pants suddenly getting tight as he enjoyed the thoughts. Well, somewhat different reactions.

Neither immediately registered Musubi speaking again, that is, until she took a napkin and wiped the juice off, removing the object that spiked their respective fantasies. "...someone like you could be my Ashikabi-sama" the girl said, and again a soft chime was echoing in Harry's brain. _'Why does that word sound familiar?'_

"Ashikabi?" Minato prompted, having also been snapped out of his embarrassment.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, and her chest jiggled marvelously. **_"I've been looking for one. Someone precious whom I've never met before…"_** She slipped into her musings, the holding a fist to her heart. **_"Each of us were born for our 'Ashikabis'. To guide him to the ascension…"_** If Harry wasn't already amused at Minato's uncomfortability with women, or at least this one, he most certainly would've been now, as the girl all but threw herself on the younger man. How she landed with her rear facing Harry, he was not sure, but nor was he complaining. The skirt rode up a bit, and the girl's pink panties were slightly riding up, exposing her smooth bum for Harry to observe.

"M-M-Mu-Musubi?" Minato squawked as she was clutching his shirt and panting lightly.

"I… I feel… so hot… why… why do I feel… like this?" she breathed out, her face inching closer to the boy's. "What… what should… I do, Minato?"

Harry had very few reservations when it came to sex, his and Gabby's sex life more than enough proof of that. While he'd watched other men have sex before, the boy's embarrassment at just being touched by a girl led Harry to think he'd not appreciate being watched. And with Musubi getting very close to his face, Harry decided it was time to take his leave, and made to depart without further ado.

Unfortunately for him, this action did not go unnoticed by the brunette, who immediately turned to face him, still centimeters from Minato's face. Harry had to bite back a laugh at the younger boy's grateful look that had an undercurrent of disappointment in it. "Where you going, EJ-sama?"

"Just thought I'd give you two some privacy is all" Harry answered, moving towards his shoes by the door. He had to admit, the idea of leaving your shoes by the door certainly was effective in keeping your carpets clean. As he bent down to grab them, though, his arm was grabbed by the strong grip of the young girl's.

He turned a curious and questioning look towards her, and once again saw violet bleeding through, but more solid as it made a ring around the outside of her iris, with flecks throughout the rest. And, to his surprise, it was intensifying the longer they looked at each other. Harry was wondering what would happen if they become completely violet, but that thought was abruptly silenced by a sudden pounding on the door behind him.

While the years had dulled him to surprise sounds, Musubi and Minato were most certainly not, as their sudden, and matching, "EEEKS!" echoed through the apartment. Harry glanced at the boy, before looking back at the girl, and saw, disappointedly, the violet was gone, and her innocent, chocolate brown was all that was there. Sighing internally, he glanced towards the boy with a questioning gaze, but saw that he was not making any effort to move towards it, and he thought he heard muttering about who it could be.

Shaking his head, he opened it and a short, pudgy old man was standing there with an angry look on his face. "May I help you?" Harry asked politely.

Apparently, it wasn't polite enough as the man turned a shade of red that reminded Harry of his Uncle Vernon all those years ago. _'Jeez, been 15 years since I saw him last and I can still draw the similarities. Hope he rots in hell.'_

"Who are you, young man? You're not the tenant of this apartment. I heard a woman's voice, is she in here? I let that young man rent it because he was an examinee, that includes NO FEMALES!" At the end of the rant he leaned past Harry, and saw Musubi on her knees not far behind him, and Minato still by the table. "Aha! There is a female! And another male! This is a single room, you know that! That's a contract violation! I want you out within a week!"

He turned to leave, but Harry was having none of that, and grabbed his arm before he made it to the stairs. "I don't think so, old man. You see, no contract can legally forbid females from entering a premise. Nor can it forbid another male from entering a premise. Let alone both at the same time."

"This is a single apartment with one bed! If you three are sharing that bed then that's a contract violation, as he signed for only one male living here!" He was working himself up a full head of steam, and Harry was internally debating from just dissolving the problem or pressing the man's buttons to see what would happen.

As it wasn't his apartment being discussed, he decided on the higher road. "And I'm not living here" Harry supplied, before indicating Musubi. "Neither is she. We ran into Minato while out and about, today. He was polite enough to invite us over to eat lunch." He pointed at the table where the food, some half-eaten, sat. "We may have overdone it with how much food we got, and we'll clean up afterwards, but neither of us are staying the night. Musubi and I have our own places to return to."

At least Harry hoped that was the case, as he didn't know anything about where Musubi was residing. Their conversations hadn't gotten that far. Well… he corrected… they hadn't really gotten anywhere, if he was being honest with himself.

"I don't care, he is in violation, I want him out of the apartment by this time next week or I will have him forced out!" And with that last, illogical declaration, he turned and stormed out. Harry just frowned after him, slightly perturbed and annoyed by the man's eager desire to kick the kid out. _'That honestly can't be legal, can it? That he can just evict Minato for no logical reason? Unless it's actually in the contract he signed.' _

He turned and glanced at the kid, who was sitting there looking dejected. Harry was actually feeling highly apologetic, not something he often felt. While he had done everything correctly, as far as he could tell, he did speak on the man's behalf and without consulting him. Let alone, letting him talk to his own landlord. _'Shit. I think I fucked up. Fuck me.'_

"Sorry about that, Sahashi" he offered solemnly, stepping around the openly confused Musubi.

"It's ok, Black-san" the guy responded, flopping on his back. "He's always like that. Especially about females. My younger sister came to visit once about 6 months ago. He nearly ran her over trying to barge into my apartment to yell at me for it. She kicked him pretty hard for that. Heck, I remember ordering take-out once, and the delivery driver was a female, and he almost did the same thing until he smelled the food she was holding. Then he tried to take it for himself, but the driver kicked him in the shin."

Harry couldn't help it; An image of a delivery girl resembling Wilma from _Viva Rock Vegas_, wearing stone roller skates the size of Ronald McDonald's shoes, kicking the pudgy man like a beach ball, all done in exaggerated anime style, popped in his head. The result had him doubled over laughing, hard enough he fell to his knees.

Musubi was laughing too, not that she knew why Harry was doing it, but his laughter was contagious, and seeing him laughing hard enough to fall over was enough to have her giggling. Minato was the most confused. He had to admit the memory of it _was_ pretty funny: he just didn't think it was funny enough to collapse from.

A few minutes passed before Harry was able to compose himself enough to be civil. "Ohhh that was funny. I wish I could have seen that."

"Too bad there isn't a way to watch people's memories" Minato answered almost half-heartedly, smiling at the elder man. He thought he saw a mischievous glimmer in the man's eyes, as if he knew something he didn't, but it was gone so fast Minato wasn't sure. He shook his head to clear it. "Anyways, don't worry about it. Like I said, he's like that all the time."

"Probably just jealous other guys can get girls and he can't" Harry responded matter-of-factly. Minato immediately glanced at the pretty brunette still on her knees, and his eyes betrayed him and checked her out before his brain caught up to what he was doing. The girl caught him peeking, and she smiled that innocent mile at him, and Minato's blush returned in force.

"I-I-I… uh… gotta go to the bathroom! Be right back!" He scrambled to his feet and darted into the washroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Harry was fighting back a smirk, and glanced at the brunette. _'Yeah. Go to the bathroom. Gotta relieve some valve pressure.'_

At first, he saw just the innocent, chocolate brown gaze that he had quickly decided was her default expression. But there was a quick moment that he saw a quick flicker of violet, and a near-visage appeared on her face, one of calculated deviousness, before vanishing. Harry was reminded of Tonks yet again, as she used to do that at will, just to mess with him. _'Should probably call home sometime soon. See how Teddy is doing. Wonder if I could convince Andi to let me bring him here for a while. Maybe she'd like to come with.'_

He was brought out of his musings by a soft hand taking his, and he blinked a couple times before registering that Musubi, or at least Musubi's body, was standing in front of him. It was almost as if someone else had suddenly taken control from her: her face was hardened and more chiseled, her lips plumper, and intelligence was burning in her violet eyes, eyes that were currently full of passion and worry.

While when he first met Musubi she had a resemblance to the girl from his dreams, this persona was _exactly _the girl from his dreams, albeit in different clothing. And it was confusing him greatly. Over the past 15 years he'd met people who had been possessed, but this was something different: possessions changed their host's body permanently. They didn't switch off and on. Half his instincts were demanding he start fighting the woman, restrain the being inside the young girl's body.

The other half, though, was reacting heavily to the newcomer, the kind of reaction he often had every time Hana would come over. He felt hot, for some reason. His magic was seeking something, a partner almost. Gabby had no trouble whatsoever getting his motor running, and he was always all-too-willing to react to her, but this wasn't that. It wasn't sexual, per say. Or, at least, not purely. It reminded him of when Gabby first bonded herself to him, the strange pull he felt anytime she was nearby. How mad he had been when she'd done that, despite her having some very good reasons to do it.

But this… was something else. And it didn't help that the woman currently standing in front of him had been plaguing his dreams for the past few weeks since he found the cure for Chiho in Alexandria.

"Harry-sama" she said softly, and his eyes widened. It wasn't the sultry but soft voice she said it with. It wasn't the face she was making, or how close she had gotten and was pressing her body into him. Excluding Gabby and himself, only two people in all of non-magical Japan, heck, all of the Orient, should have known his real name, and the girl in front of him was not one of them. Hana had learned it from a slip-up by Gabby in an intense night of passion, as the petite blonde had cried out his real name during an orgasm. She'd vowed the name to secrecy, accepting the excuse that he'd changed his name to avoid too much attention. As she didn't care as to what attention, or why he wanted to avoid it, it was never an issue.

His mind was racing, the dream coming back to him in force, as he was seriously beginning to question if it was really a dream, or a memory. It couldn't be a vision, as he looked too young in it to be a future. And he certainly hadn't done anything of the sort recently. Which meant it was in his past. But he was quite certain he'd remember meeting a woman such as this. He'd have remembered being 15 and meeting such a vision of beauty and sexuality. Wouldn't he?

He'd taken some hits to the head over the years, more often than not from training, occasionally from botched parts of missions, but nothing came to mind that would result in his forgetting this woman. Except one: Memory charms. But who would've been able to get the drop on him, and was powerful enough, let alone skilled enough, to not only erase her from his memory, but do so in a way he wouldn't be able to realize he was forgetting something?

Even as a teenager he had impeccable occlumency skills. So much so that he enjoyed tormenting Snape any and every time he attempted to intrude. Dumbledore learned not to invade his mind the hard way, suffering a vicious nose bleed from a very angry 17-yr old Harry retaliating by pummeling the man's defenses. A retaliation that sent the man, albeit reluctantly, to Mind Healers for recovery.

But this girl - no, woman - had just, in one word, caused Harry to start questioning quite a bit, and the repeated targets of those thoughts brought him no comfort. In fact, he was quite certain he'd be digging up his old communicator and attempting to contact them if the girl in front of him wasn't keeping him in place.

"Harry-sama" she repeated, and with a gloved hand, reach up to cup his face. He felt the fabric against his skin, the combat fisticuffs brushing his chin. It was the fingers, though, that nearly startled him, as the moment they touched his cheek, he felt the same jolt of electricity he felt in his dream. If he had any doubts that this was the girl from the dream, they were destroyed in that moment, his eyes dilating in wonton need.

_'Need?'_ he thought to himself, his occlumency shields fighting… whatever it was this woman was doing to him. If he wasn't enjoying it so much, if it wasn't so pleasing, if his magic hadn't been practically humming contently, he'd have had the woman's arms in a death grip. But he was. And it was, on all accounts, pleasant. He didn't even know he'd had a hole in his heart, but suddenly it felt filled, just from the woman's simple touch. _'What the hell is going on? It's not… it's like Gabby's allure, but supercharged. It's not even a compulsion… but it is, but it's not. It's pure desire, need, pushing me to… kiss her? It's like those times Gabby lets loose with her allure when we're with Luna and/or Davis, even… Hana… no. It's much closer to those times with Hana, and it just enhances everything. Except, this is… I don't have the words for it.'_

"It's been a long time, Harry-sama" she said quietly, but the words were echoing in his head like a shotgun blast in a canyon. "Nearly 10 years, I believe." She took on a pensive look for a moment before nodding her head. "Yes, 10 years this coming August. I've missed you."

_'10 years? August… 2010? That was right after… oh shit, Tonks! That was right after she'd turned me down. I remember… wait, I took a job! Some data retrieval job… but it got botched. It was nearly two weeks later I woke up in the infirmary. They said I got caught in an explosion, and landed in a coma. Coma… wait, that's right! I had no memory of the job at all! They called it a failure, but didn't hold it against me because of an interfering third party they didn't account for. But… what if… no…'_

His inner turmoil was apparently on his face, despite his shields, as the woman's eyes narrowed, then widened. She took a step back as they slowly turned watery. "You… you don't remember me, do you?" She pulled her hands back, holding them to her mouth, a tear streaming down her face now. He tried to find the words, to tell her about the dreams, but his voice failed him.

She let out a soft sob, then turned away from him. Harry had never been good at handling crying women. Even Gabby, especially Gabby, drove him nuts during her periods. Being a Veela, she only had them every three months, but damn they were brutal. He'd replaced half a dozen beds in the time since they'd been bonded, cause her cramps would send her into fits of sorts. There was a reason Veela often went to the conclaves during these times, but as she was bonded to Harry, she couldn't stay too far apart from him, or stay away too long, and he couldn't always make the time for that trek, despite his best efforts to accommodate.

Thankfully, as time has gone by, the distance and durations they could keep from the other had increased, something Harry was extremely grateful for early on. In the past year, Gabby came to appreciate it as well, while she enjoyed being with Harry as much as possible, being able to go anywhere she wanted without him was a blessing in itself. Everyone kept teasing them about just having a baby already, as the violent periods were signs of her body's desire to bear a child, but neither of them was ready for that responsibility just yet.

In the here and now, though, Harry was frozen solid as the woman lightly sobbed before him. He'd had 7 years of combat training, another 8 of medical training and experience. He'd been around women of all ages: some who were interested in him, some who despised him, some who were family, some - many - who'd just been the night's entertainment. But in all of that training and experience with the female race, a crying one remained his kryptonite.

"Sorry about that" Minato's voice cut through the tension, and Harry spared a look at the young man coming out of the washroom. He was still dabbing his nose with a rolled-up piece of toilet paper, making sure he wasn't bleeding anymore.

"That's ok!" Musubi's cheerful voice called out, and Harry snapped back to her. Gone was the persona he'd just been interacting with, and the young girl's innocent, chocolate eyes and chubby cheeks were in full smile at the young man.

"Musubi, why are you crying? Are you hurt?" Minato suddenly asked, rushing over to her.

"Huh?" she asked confusedly while tilting her head, before wiping her eyes with one of her fists. "Huh, that's weird. I don't know why. I just sort of blacked-out there for a moment.

Minato glanced at Harry, looking for an explanation. As Harry was still trying to process everything himself, he just half-shrugged before looking at his watch. Seeing the time, he decided it was time to head back to the hotel to meet Gabby for dinner. _'Never did make it to that market. Guess we're eating out tonight. After what just happened, not sure I'd be able to concentrate enough not to burn anything as it is.'_

"I better head out" he declared, turning towards his shoes by the door. His declaration got both their attentions, and when he met Musubi's eyes that violet shone for a moment, full of sadness, before returning to her chocolate gaze. _'What is with this girl? It really is as if there are two people at once in there. I'd say Schizophrenia if it wasn't for her whole body changing shape… well, her face at least. And even magically speaking I've never heard of a possession that changed a person's body at will. Hell, even Voldemort was just a parasite for Quirrell, not a real possession.'_

So lost in thought was he on autopilot that he had put on his shoes and stepped outside before realizing what he'd done. The contrast of the crisp air of the evening to Minato's apartment woke him, and he turned to his host and the guest. "It was a pleasure meeting both of you. I'm sorry for intruding as long as I did." He pulled out his wallet with his business card on it, and wrote a number on the back. "This is my cell number I'm using while here in Japan. Since I was ineffective in keeping you from getting kicked from your apartment, I'll pay the deposit and first month's rent for wherever you end up. Call me at that number to let me know, and I'll come and make the payment."

Minato came over and took the card from him, with both hands, Harry was surprised to see. _'Is that another Japanese custom that I just botched? I should probably be learning these.'_

"Thank you, Black-san. I appreciate the offer, but I will manage on my own. He'd have found a reason to kick me out regardless." Harry had to fight from arching an eyebrow, but absently nodded to himself before smirking with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Admirable as that is, I take responsibility for my actions. Whether you would have been booted or not is irrelevant, I'm the one who messed up and took the lead, without asking you, who actually lives here. This is how I wish to repay you, by ensuring you've somewhere to stay.

"Besides, if you're going to have such a lovely lady staying with you, you need more appropriate accommodations, don't you think?" He added the last with a wink, and chuckled at the man's red face and sudden bloody nose.

As an almost afterthought, he took out a second card, and re-wrote the number and handed it to Musubi. "You can call me as well, especially if knuckle-head here won't. I don't know if you have your own place to return to, but I'd be happy to help both of you if you need it."

"Ok! Thank you so much, EJ-Sama!" Harry did cock an eyebrow this time, wondering what he'd done to earn the '-sama' from this version of the girl.

"My pleasure, Musubi. I hope to see you both soon." With that, and a last glancing smile at Musubi, he turned and walked away.

* * *

"What a weird day" he grumbled as he entered his hotel suite. He ended up grabbing take-out on his way back, and set the bag on the dining table next to the small kitchen the suite had.

"Harry! About time you get home!" Gabby called out from the living area. Harry wondered why she was home already, as he'd not expected her for another hour, hence the idea to cook dinner.

This question was shortly answered, as he saw a familiar head of long, violet hair in a lavender-purple dress relaxing on the couch next to his blonde bond-mate. "Well hello there, luv. Long time no sees." She smiled as he neared her, and leaned into each other to kiss each other's cheek. While only accepting a visit to France once, she'd taken to some of the customs there almost instantly, the shared cheek-kisses being one of them.

By her own admission she was not a lip-kisser, for a variety of reasons Harry strongly suspected were bullshit, but never had a real reason to call bullshit on any of them. That being said, most of their activities did not require kissing each other's lips, so it made no never mind. She had little problem kissing Gabby, though: a sight that Harry never failed to enjoy, nor Gabby fail to enjoy experiencing. Especially when he was making them moan into each other while it was occurring.

"Hello to you too, lover. I've missed you both" she replied as they separated, before taking another drink from her wine-glass. Harry always wondered why she drank so much, but never felt it was really his business to pry. Especially as it didn't really affect her until the second bottle. He did wonder how she was able to afford it all, but again, not really his business. Nor did he think they were in any way close enough as friends to ask, despite their often romps.

A second glance at the bottle made him realize it was one of his own private collection. He'd brought a few with for when Chiho was cured, so they could celebrate. This one was a Château Lafite Rothschild, while not the most expensive he had, certainly not cheap by any means. Gabby knew this, and he turned a questioning gaze towards her. She had the grace to look sheepish for a moment, before finding the words to answer his unasked question.

"Hana here was just telling me about some game she's going to be involved in. Supposedly it's going to start soon, and she's to be one of the top contenders."

"Is that so?" he asked incredulously. In the two years he'd known the very well-endowed lush, she'd never expressed any interest whatsoever in games outside of the bedroom arts. Even the few times they'd taken those arts outside of the suite or domicile they'd been staying at, it was only for the sake of the bedroom game. She didn't like board games, or card games (except perhaps strip poker, and even then, only after a bottle), not even sports, despite her very well-toned body that suggested physical activity. Then again, more than once he'd theorized she was much more promiscuous than he thought and was simply that active. Again, none of his business and she was always clean when he checked her, so it was not his problem nor concern.

"Unfortunately, yes" the alcoholic replied, drowning the rest of her glass before pouring another, ignoring the rules of propriety regarding how wine is normally drunk. "Technically, the game began long ago, but I've absconded from playing for some time, ever since my heart was broken by the game master."

"Mon dieu, I'm so sorry!" Gabby exclaimed, making to get up to move towards the woman. However, she was held back by the woman in question raising a hand to stop her, before chugging the whole glass in one go.

"It's ok, my sweet. It was a long time ago, now. Nearly 12 years, I suppose. It's just the fact that I have no choice but continuing to play his stupid game that has drug up all these bad memories." She reached for the bottle again, but Gabby stopped her. She turned to look at the smaller girl, but was ignored by the blonde turning a look on Harry. He understood and took the wine bottle, re-capping it as he moved towards the kitchen area. He pulled out a mason jar of clear liquor from the freezer, and a few glasses to go with.

Returning to the living room, he took the chair on the side of the saddened woman, then poured all three of them a glass, adding a bit more to the lush's than his or Gabby's. She smiled appreciatively, then after clinking their glasses together, all threw back their drinks.

"WHOA MAMA!" The busty woman exclaimed, before blinking her eyes quickly and shaking her head. "Ohhhh, that hit the spot! What is that!"

Harry just exchanged a smirk with the blonde before pouring the three of them a second round of moonshine. A second throwback later, and the violet-haired girl was squealing in delight, giving an excellent visual demonstration of her skill with her tongue as she tried licking the bottom of her glass clean. "That's the stuff that gets mama's juices running! What is that?" she repeated, eyeing up the mason jar like it was her lifeline. Her thick thighs were rubbing together, and her breath was catching as her chest heaved. Her face was reddening, her breath catching, and she was slowly sliding down the couch, the dress catching on the edge of the cushion, riding up to show a distinctive lack of panties.

He turned a questioning look at Gabby, who reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of lacy black lingerie panties, smirking like a Cheshire cat. She tossed them to Harry, who caught them and rolled them between his fingers before pocketing them with a return grin of his own. Without prompting, Gabby leaned forward towards the woman before she could recompose herself, and drug a delicate finger up from her knee, and began teasing the woman's sex.

"Ohh honey, I'm going to need something a lot bigger and thicker than that today, sweetheart" she moaned, turning a lustful look towards Harry while pulling one of her tits out from her dress, pinching her nipple between her fingers, her left reaching down and joined Gabby's teasing of her clit. "If that's our drink of choice tonight, I'm going to need the workout of a lifetime to burn it off" she added with a moan, Gabby having found a sensitive spot.

"I live to serve" he replied, and moved over to the couch. He pushed her to the side, rolling her so she ended atop Gabby, who instantly drug her into a steamy kiss, her hand still busy on the woman's front door. Harry was treated to the woman's derriere, on full display from the rode-up dress, and reached out to caress it, his thumb teasing her warm center, and got another moan of gratitude in response.

Her bare foot found his crotch, and toes started teasing him, giving testament to her level of self-control despite the several attacks on her senses. Harry decided to up the ante, and slid his thumb to her entrance, and held it there. He felt her shudder slightly as the mini-orgasm hit her, and her hips started rocking slightly, attempting to get more traction on his stilled thumb.

His other hand was working her bare leg, ghosting over it and up the back of her leg before joining his other at her rear, then slowly gliding down with the lightest of touches. Showing his own level of self-control, his right fingers were kneading the woman's rear whilst keeping his thumb firmly planted at the entrance to her love canal.

"Damn it, Harry, just put it - OHHHH!" Gabby's fingers met Harry's thumb, and the combined pressure sent her into another mini orgasm through the kneeling woman. The vibrations from her feet had an interesting effect, as little Harry pulsed against her foot. She managed to regain some sense of self, and rubbed him with her foot, getting a grateful moan from the solo male.

As proof of his gratitude, he slowly rubbed his thumb around her cervix, not enough to give her the pleasure she sought, but enough to torture her. It didn't help that Gabby had found her button, and was also rubbing around it, adding to the agony of being on the edge of what all present knew was going to be a huge orgasm, as her whole body was vibrating as she did her best to put more pressure on the couples' hands.

"Oh gods oh gods oh gods OH GODS" she chanted, and right as she was about to reach the precipice, both fingers ceased their ministrations altogether, leaving her hanging as her eyes were losing focus. The sudden loss of contact had her nearly screeching as she began grinding against the imprisoned blonde's legs, trying to coax that last push out of her.

"Ah ah ah" Harry taunted, slapping her right cheek, getting a squeak, followed by a light moan as he ghosted his fingers over the red hand print.

"Please, EJ-sama, please, let me come" she whined, looking back over her shoulder at him. Harry couldn't help but share a feral grin with the blonde, as Hana was not one to beg, even at her worst. That she was told them exactly what kind of mood she was in, and Harry fully intended to take advantage of it.

"I'm not entirely sure you've earned that right, my little Sylph." He caressed her bare bottom, and she leaned back into his hand, lightly moaning. "You come and go like the wind" he began, missing the sudden look of surprise, as he smacked her bottom again, watching it jiggle, "but not tonight. Tonight, you are ours." He leaned down and brushed his lips on the redness, and smirked as her body shuddered, her moan dampened by being pulled into a kiss with the blonde.

"I think it's time you give your Master some attention, my sweet" Gabby voiced after separating from the violet-haired woman's lips. She had always been enchanted by the elder woman's violet eyes, and how they shone as she became enthralled by the throes of passion. Not getting a response from the heavily breathing girl, she reached down and pinched the free nipple hanging over her, which jolted her eyes open as her mouth widened slightly, eyes begging for more.

The younger blonde ran her fingers through the woman's hair, slowly pulling her closer to her lips. She stopped her within a hair's breadth, and ghosted her lips against the plump ones within reach before looking her into her eyes. "I said, turn around and give your Master some attention." Gabby's voice was heavy and sultry, but hard enough to leave little room for argument. Not that the woman was coherent enough to do so, as she shakily nodded and turned around.

Gabby enjoyed the sight of the woman's thick and plump bottom, slightly envious of it as hers could never match it. _'Maybe once I give Harry a child my hips will widen enough for that? One can only hope'_ she thought, before the sound of a zipper and ruffing of clothes had her smiling.

Encouraged by the slurping sounds she heard, the Veela decided to start encouraging the night along, and relaxed her hold on her allure. She began toying with the woman's exposed center, and heard the sounds increasing, mingled by her mate's moans of enjoyment. _'Now if only Uzume were here as well, this night would be perfect. She'd love Hana. I wonder who has a bigger ass? I can't wait until Harry cures Chiho, so we can all celebrate together. I swear she's a bigger pervert than Luna. Only thing left is to see if she can live up to the perversion. Hehe, that'll be a good night.' _

Her thoughts on future romps were interrupted as she was reminded of the beauty that was entertaining them that night, as a long, muffled moan from the woman caught her attention. She glanced down and saw Harry'd relieved the eager cocksucker of the rest of her clothes, and her wonderful breasts were bouncing against her legs.

Realizing she was missing out, she shoved two fingers into her victim's warm apex, and the sudden gasp, followed by clenching muscles and near-scream that was stifled by a full mouth gave testament to the woman's large orgasm. Giggling, Gabby knew both of them were in trouble and going to be punished: Hana for coming without permission, and Gabby for making her come without permission. The thoughts alone nearly made _her _come, and was rubbing her thighs together in anticipation.

"Gabby, my Feather, did you just make Hana come without permission?"

Giggling again, Gabby leaned forward into Hana's rear and kissed her quim, then licked some of the juices that were dripping out. "Yes, Master, I certainly did!" She giggled again, before licking the woman's center again, prompting yet another mini-orgasm.

Gabby wasn't sure how it happened, but the next thing she knew she was mid-air being held up by the cuffs that had appeared on her wrists, and her feet were held apart in similar fashion, a few inches off the floor. Hana was on her knees beneath her, hands tied to her feet behind her back, and was currently licking Gabby's dripping cunny, causing the smaller girl to shake as her orgasm built up.

Harry was walking around them both with a horse crop in-hand, and was lightly smacking various parts of her body as he circled her. She couldn't fight the moans that were emanating from her mouth, as the combination of stings and Hana's tongue were toying with her senses.

Harry wasn't ignoring the kneeling girl either, alternating between the two. Occasionally he'd use his bare hand to caress the stings, adding a hint of magic to them to amplify the touch. This went on for nearly an hour, as every time Gabby would near an orgasm, he'd stop Hana and have her service him instead. While not a submissive woman at all 95% of the time, that 5% she took to it with gusto. Gabby simply enjoyed everything, whether being on top, on bottom, or going between the two.

_'To be honest, sometimes I'm surprised she and Luna didn't make a go of it. Maybe it was the too similar personalities that put them off? Guess it's not really important, now. Luna has Davis so far under her thumb it's amazing she still walks on two feet.'_ Harry would be the first to admit that denying the two women their orgasms was probably the most difficult punishment for him to do. He enjoyed their shaking, squirming, squirting and moaning under his touches far too much: listening to them calling his name as they came undone, pun intended. More than once the sounds alone pushed him to the edge, and it was only his liberal application of occlumency that saved him on more than a few occasions.

He wasn't afraid to use magic in his actions, either, as a magic vibrator was tormenting the woman on her knees. Having set it to change its speed at random times, and for inconsistent durations had the woman lost in a haze of being constantly on the edge. Oh how he loved magic. Gabby and he used it quite often to attempt various positions that were likely impossible by normal means.

He remembered the time Hana learned that they could use magic, as she'd walked in on them doing so. He'd had Gabby hog-tied and hanging mid-air by nothing more than the charmed cuffs she was currently wearing. They'd been so wrapped up in what they were doing they hadn't noticed the woman enter the room they'd been using at the time, having forgotten they'd given her a key. It wasn't until she was stripped and assisting him in violating the blonde that they realized she was there, and her non-committal to the floating woman led to a very good night for all of them.

Returning to the present, Harry observed his two girls before an idea came to mind that had him grinning. _'Hmm, I've not used such a technique on Hana yet. How rude of me to deny her that opportunity.' _Without preamble, he waved his hand and the violet-eyed woman was suddenly shrieking as she was flipped over mid-air, her head the axel, as her cunt was suddenly in Gabby's face. He reached up and pulled out the vibrator, ignoring the woman's objections that were quickly silenced as his Veela attacked her clenching quim with equal gusto, and Harry was treated to the mid-air 69 he instigated.

A few more thwacks here and there, not letting them forget his presence, he decided to move on. "Come for me, my pets" he ordered, as both girls' bodies shook as they moaned into each other's honey pots. "Thank you, Master" both groggily supplied as he lowered them to the ground, undoing their ties to allow them a short reprieve. He smiled; the toils of the day forgotten. Yes, life was good.

* * *

**AN: Like I said: awkward. If you stuck through it, thank you. It gets better, I promise. Just... needed to get over this little hump. The next chapter is being edited already. **

**See y'all in the next chapter!**


	3. The Forgotten

_April 9, 2020_

_Hotel, Tokyo, Japan_

_._

"What a strange week" Harry voiced randomly, laying on the couch in their suite, recovering from the night before. Gabby was laying across his legs as they watched some random TV show.

"What're you whining about now, Harry?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the television.

"Just everything that's happened this week, is all" he answered, looking down as she rolled her head towards him.

"You say that as if it's been a bad thing" she retorted, before pulling him down into a kiss. "After all, we've had three different women in our bed in that time frame. Two of them more than once. Even last night wasn't all that bad compared to normal: she was a scientist and a MILF. Cougars know how to keep things interesting. Are you really complaining?"

He could only chuckle at that, kissing her again before she turned her attention back to the show. "No, that's not it. You're right about that part. It's the rest of it that's been strange. How do you know she was a cougar, anyways? It's difficult to tell with oriental women. Wait," he shook his head, "she was a MILF? Missed that detail."

"Hmm" she replied non-committal. To be honest, she'd had the same thought. About the week, not the cougar. That part was easy, not that she'd tell him. Was nice having something over him to drop on him later. But still, she was yet to meet this Musubi he mentioned, and was beginning to think she wouldn't ever. He'd told her about his blunder with the kid he ran into, accidentally getting him kicked out of his apartment. They'd gone to the place two days ago to check on him, only to find the place empty. She smirked as she remembered the overweight landlord try to sell the place to her, completely ignoring Harry. He had made several overt offers as to how she could get it discounted.

Deciding to have a little fun, she'd pushed it as low as she could by adding a bit of her allure, getting it down to 10k yen/ month. She got the man to create and sign the contract in record time, with Harry paying for the full year's lease upfront before he could back out. It wasn't until they were in the car before he came to, and angrily chased after them with the contract in hand as both laughed at his reflection in the mirrors. After that, they'd met up with an old friend of Harry's for dinner, the only other person besides herself and Hana that even knew his real name.

She was so lost in thought she hadn't realized Harry was speaking until the silver-haired woman's name came up. "...Kara mentioned a game as well, though unlike Hana she seemed to be looking forward to it. I wonder if they're playing the same game?"

"You could just ask them, y'know?" she offered, having forgotten about that bit entirely.

"I know…" he drawled, before sighing and looking at the ceiling. "Part of me wants to help Hana, as she really isn't looking forward to… whatever it is. I wonder if it has anything to do with the strange powers they're both suppressing?"

Gabby blinked a few times, not entirely certain what he was saying. "What do you mean, 'powers they're both suppressing'? What powers? I didn't sense anything?" She sat up and looked at him in confusion as she said that.

Harry just stared at her, his mind recanting all the conversations of the past week. _'Oh crap, I never mentioned that to Gabby? Oh boy.'_ "Umm, didn't I tell you?" he asked sheepishly, already knowing the answer.

"Tell me what, mister" she demanded. He held up his hands in surrender.

"Whoa whoa it's nothing baaad…" his eyes roamed to the side before focusing back on her, "...I hope. Just something I've been noticing a lot with a number of women around town" he quickly answered. Her eyes narrowed as she waited expectantly.

He took a moment to organize his thoughts, not that he actually needed to, as they both knew, being a master Occlumens. But it never hurts to use it as a convenient excuse to stall for time. "When I first met Uzume last year, I sensed she had a strange power. It wasn't magical… per se. But it wasn't _not_ magical, if that makes any sense." She shook her head, turning fully and pulling a knee up into her arms as she laid her head on it.

"It was like she was full of energy. And not just cause she's the short-attention span Uzume we know and love. It was… power. Like, her chi was weaponized almost."

"Her chi? Like the Jedi?" she asked teasingly.

He just shook his head, not rising to the bait. "No, I'm thinking closer to _Avatar_ and their ability to control the elements. I don't know for sure, to be honest. But it's not something I'd ever encountered before. And I wasn't able to determine the nature of it without being invasive, so I never bothered asking."

"It's not being invasive if you ask permission, Harry" she commented with a roll of her eyes.

"You're right, but it also isn't my business so I never brought it up."

"Ok… so now that it is brought up, what does Uzume have to do with Hana? Or your…" she waved her hands absently looking for the right word, "...whatever she is?"

Harry just chuckled. "Kara is my friend, Gabs."

"A friend who has tried to kill you how many times now?"

"The Doctor and the Master have tried, and succeeded, in killing each other loads of times."

"This isn't some TV show, Harry."

Harry gasped, going full drama queen as he holds a hand to his heart while leaning back wide-eyed. "Dr Who is _not_ just 'some TV show', Gabriella! Blasphemer!" What ensued was a tickle fest, as she squirmed to escape her man's grasp, with absolutely no success. It wasn't long before he had her squealing and begging for mercy.

"I yield I yield I YIELD!" she screamed, before he finally released her, and she scrambled to the far end of the couch as he just laughed at her. After ensuring he wouldn't start up again, she slowly crawled back to his lap, and curled up. "You're a jerk" she pouted.

"And you love me for it" he countered, and tugged on her puffed out lip with his hand. This just made her pout harder for a few moments, so he kissed to top of her head. Giving up her pouting for a lost cause, she turned back towards him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So, you were saying about this power Hana and Kara have that resembles Uzume's?"

He chuckled at her segue, and marveled at how capable she was of keeping him on track. "Both Hana and Kara have the similar power, but they're suppressing it heavily. In the two years we've been having these romps with Hana I'd not noticed it before. Most likely because I wasn't looking for it. But last week when I went to the hospital, I told you about what happened with Higa, right?" The question came off more pleading than clarifying, hoping he hadn't forgotten to mention something _else_.

At the nod of her head he relaxed a bit before he continued. "Well, he had this woman there that, by all appearances, might've been his secretary alongside Kazizaki. But she also had this strange power. And when I was leaving, two more girls entered the office with similar capabilities. Uzume's was stronger than all three of theirs, but I could feel it nonetheless. Then that night, Hana came over, and when I walked in it had been on my mind. That was when I sensed it from her, though heavily suppressed."

"You mean it's weaker in her?"

"No, I mean whatever it is, is much stronger in her than the other four; she was just suppressing it so it wouldn't be noticeable."

"Why would she do that?"

"Don't know, but I can't help but think it has to do with this 'game' she referred to."

She thought over it a moment before connecting the dots. "And Kara has it as well?"

He turns towards her and nodded. "Also suppressed, and as strong, if not stronger, than Hana's. And those six aren't the only ones, either. Musubi had it as well, though hers was the strangest."

"Ok, strange power in strange women. Add to that an even stranger, mystery woman has a strange version of the strange power. You're on a roll today, lover" she teased with a poke to his chest, before squealing as he tickled her again. "I yield I yield je cède!" She caught her breath before smacking him on the shoulder with the back of her hand. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"And proud of it, darlin'" he retorted, kissing her on the nose. She just crossed her arms and pouted again as she crossed her legs Indian-style, causing him to chuckle and pull her into his arms.

"But to answer your question, yes, it was even stranger in Musubi." Remembering the brunette reminded him of several other women he'd came across, but he'd come back to them later. "In her, there was the active power that I could easily sense, especially when she was running. Or when she made a move on Sahashi and I."

"Both of you at the same time? Kinky" she quipped, giggling after she spanked her lightly.

"No, you brat." Then he cocked his head and thought about it a moment. "At least, not openly. That's when it got strange. She was nearly dry-humping him at one point, which is when I started to leave 'cause he seemed far too innocent and self-conscious to want an audience. But when I started to leave, she grabbed me by the arm, and a second, almost separate, power source bloomed within her."

Gabby was thoroughly confused, still trying to wrap her head around the strange power he couldn't identify. Considering how many different versions of magic he'd come across in the past decade, one that he didn't know about was… curious. Add to that one or more of their bed partners may have it and she hadn't realized it made her suddenly doubt her own abilities.

She was brought out of her self-assessment by the tightening of Harry's arms around her. "Hey, don't fret about it. You didn't have 7 years of training to make it practically second nature. It was only because Uzume was practically oozing it, no pun intended, that I even noticed it in the first place."

Mildly reassured, she wrapped her arms around one of his and held it between her breasts as she leaned into him. "You were saying about the second power?"

The sudden segue caught Harry off-guard, and he had to blink a few times before it came to him. "Wha- oh! Right. So, it was when I was grabbing my shoes to leave that she grabbed my arm. Now, Musubi has these brown eyes that remind me a lot of Hermione's. But, when I looked at her then, they'd turned violet, much like Hana's, only brighter. Her whole being seemed to change, even some physical ones. And the initial power I sensed from Musubi faded, and a second, more potent one stepped forward. It was almost as if…"

"...There were two people" she finished his thought, intrigued and confused at the same time. She felt his nodding of his head against the back of her own.

"Yeah. Exactly. Not to mention, she knew my name."

She frowned at that. "Well, yeah, dummy. You'd been hanging out for a while by that point, I'd imagine you'd have introduced yourself."

He shook his head. "No, I mean my real name. I introduced myself as EJ Black. She called me Harry-sama." Her eyes widened, as to her knowledge only a couple others in the whole country knew that name. The honorific finally hit her, and she frowned and turned towards the green-eyed man holding her. "'-Sama'? Why would you be '-sama' to her? And why the hell did you tell her your real name? I thought we were keeping that a secret in the non-magical world. Or, NOMA-world, as the Japanese magicals call it."

"I didn't" he declared adamantly. "To my knowledge, we'd never met before that day." He knew she wasn't thrilled about these dreams he kept having, and was signing them off as a strange fantasy. "Except, in my dreams." The blonde in his arms froze at that, he felt her stiffen against his chest. She slowly turned towards him again, wide-eyed.

"She's the one you've been dreaming about?"

He slowly nodded. "Damn near identical. The only difference being her clothes. Musubi looks almost like a younger version of the girl in my dreams, though, ironically, she looks familiar too, though I'm not sure why. But, whoever the second person was that came forward, after the physical change she undertook, looked exactly the same. Even the same height. And she knew my real name." He ran a hand through his hair as he sighed.

"According to her, we've met before." Gabby's eyes widened some more. Harry didn't notice, as all the confused thoughts he'd had about the brunette were running through his head again as he thought back to the interaction the previous week. "She knows who I am, said we met 10 years ago. She even named the time frame, early August." Gabby was doing the math in her head quickly. She'd met him during that stupid tournament her sister had been in, which had ended Spring, 2010. He'd told her much of what'd occurred after that, before they were reunited a few years later, including…

"Tonks" she whispered, glancing at him for confirmation.

"Yeah" he agreed as softly. "Whatever mission I took after my 15th birthday, I think that's when I met her, if I did actually meet her. The problem is, outside of that dream, I don't remember anything. There's a two-week gap that I'm missing, but everyone kept saying it was from being in a coma for most of it."

"Isn't there supposed to be some sort of mission report?" Gabby had never gotten involved with the contingent he'd worked with, as they hadn't reacquainted until after Voldemort was defeated, and he'd left the unit.

Once again, he nodded in confirmation. "I thought so as well, but it was black-flagged, deep-6'ed and labeled beyond need-to-know. I didn't have high enough clearance to access it, which was preposterous at the time considering I had the highest clearance possible. Or, at least I thought I did. But, before I could really press to find out, I was healed and sent on another mission, the one that resulted with me fighting those dementors and ending with that ridiculous court case. With all that, it just slipped my mind and I never really thought about it again."

She couldn't deny he led quite the busy lifestyle, and couldn't honestly blame him about forgetting. The stupidity of that case had reached even her in France. "Couldn't you contact one of your old commanders? Maybe after so long they'd be willing to give you some more details?" She wasn't entirely certain if she believed that, but it didn't hurt to hope. Well, not too much, at least.

Harry, though, was thinking it over quickly. "Possibly, but I'm not sure if they would. We didn't exactly part on the best terms, y'know. Not to mention, it would depend on what it was that I uncovered. Then again, this is all assuming what she told me was true."

"What reason would she have to lie to you, Harry?" Gabby asked, now fully turned around and facing him, partly straddling him. She was toying with his hair gently as she went through her thoughts. While her occlumency was fairly proficient, they weren't nearly at Harry's level. Her determination at discovering the truth behind this mystery girl was beginning to bleed through, amplified by her bond-mate's frustration as well. "I mean, from what you've told me, this girl is stuck in someone else's body. Maybe that's why it's been so long, because of whatever happened to her?"

Harry was nodding along, her thoughts running along the same path several of his own were. "I've been wondering about that myself, and I admit, it makes sense. More so since I'm not the only one that thought of it." He sighed, and tucked a strand of the blonde's hair behind her ear, smiling at her. "But, like a dunderhead, I only gave her my number, I didn't think to ask her for hers. So, I have no way of getting ahold of her."

"Well…" she drawled out, poking at his nose. He just smirked and shook his head.

"I tried that when we went back to the apartment. It'd been empty for days, and her scent was too faint to track her. If I come across it, I'll recognize it, but…" whatever he was going to say after that was cut off, as his cell suddenly rang.

***I, I'M DRIVING BLACK ON BLACK, JUST GOT MY LICENSE BACK, I GOT THIS FEELING IN MY VEINS THIS TRAIN IS COMING OFF THE TRACK***

"'Speaketh of the devil and she shalt appear'" Gabby quoted sing-song as Harry just rolled his eyes, before moving her off his lap.

"We don't even know if it's her" he retorted.

***I'LL ASK POLITE IF THE DEVIL NEEDS A RIDE BECAUSE THE ANGEL ON MY RIGHT AIN'T HANGING OUT WITH ME TONIGHT***

"Where the hell is that damn thing" he muttered, pulling off the couch cushions before finding it wedged next to the remote he didn't even realize was missing. "I swear these things have legs" he added, hitting the mute button on the remote as he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"_Is this Black-san?" _came the male voice on the other end in Japanese. Harry recognized it, not hiding the surprise on his face, to which Gabby was smirking smugly.

"_Yeah, this is him. Sahashi?"_

"_Yes. I was calling to let you know that I found a place to live."_

"_Oh, good, I was worried. I went by your old apartment and the chubster said you'd moved out."_

"_Sorry about that, Black-san. During the chaos of looking for a new place I lost your card you gave me. I only just found it while unpacking."_

"_Alright, well, I'm glad that you're settled in. Can you give me the address? I'll come by and make good on my offer."_

"_You don't need to do that, Black-san" _the voice quickly deflected. Harry had this mental image of the man waving his hands at nothing. He heard a female voice in the background, but couldn't make out the words. _"Yes, Miya-dono" _he heard resignedly on the other end.

'_Miya? Why does that name sound familiar?'_

"_Sorry about that, Black-san. The Landlady invites you over. She wants to meet you for some reason."_

'_That doesn't sound ominous at all' _he thought to himself, stifling a chuckle. _"Sounds good. I'm not doing anything; we can come over right now."_

After getting the address, they said their goodbyes and hung up. "Harry, are you sure that address is accurate?" He looked up at Gabby who was on a laptop, frowning.

"Yeah, this is what he said. Why?"

In response she turned the screen of the laptop around to face him, and folded it back before handing it to him. "Look where it is."

He just stared dumbly at it for a moment, before realization set in. "Wow. Small world. Miya… Miya!" He snapped his fingers and pointed at her once the name finally hit home. "Miya Asama! Or is it Asama Miya? Whatever. That's why it sounded familiar, she's the woman who wouldn't sell. Y'know, you'd think with all my occlumency training, I wouldn't have so much trouble remembering someone's name."

"No, but then again, you don't actively handle your real estate purchases yourself either, so it's not really a surprise" she said casually, taking the laptop back. "And you yourself have said that Occlumency doesn't make your mind perfect, just enhances its capabilities." He had to concede the point, as Gabby did most of the hands-on buying. Though, in this case, she'd used a mediator herself as well. And she was right, he _had_ said that.

"Got me there. That's what I've got you for m'dear" he teased, kissing her neck, before adding a nibble to her ear lobe and walking away.

"You bastard" she said breathily, staring daggers at his back before racing after him and tackling him to the ground. It'd be a while before they actually left the room.

* * *

_Izumo Inn_

_Later that afternoon_

_._

"Well, this is quaint" Harry voiced as they pulled up, switching to Japanese as he parked the car. He was dressed in a casual, baby-blue button up with the sleeves rolled up, complete with black pants and sneakers. Moving around the car, he opened the door for Gabby. His blonde companion was in a skin-tight yellow sundress, accenting her womanly figure and showing off plenty of leg.

"Almost like a bed-and-breakfast" she responded as they entered the gate. "Huh, I actually kind of wish we'd stayed here instead of the hotel. This feels much more homey."

"Miya will be happy to hear that" an androgynous voice sounded from the doorway. Both their eyes snap forward to the man (woman?) that was standing there. Both had noticed quite a few persons here in Tokyo that were difficult to accurately identify the gender of. Harry was tempted to use a passive form of _**legilimency **_on him to find out, but held back as he sensed that strange power coming from them as well. Besides, where's the fun in that? That it'd also be very rude was no never mind.

Both Harry and Gabby stepped up on the porch, and the unidentified person held out a hand. "Name's Kagari. Welcome to Izumo Inn." Considering the little they knew of Japanese names, it sounded masculine, despite the person's appearance. But they still weren't really sure.

"EJ Black" he answered, before turning towards his partner. "And this is Gabrielle Delacour."

"French, eh? Enchante" Kagari added, kissing her knuckles lightly. She giggled lightly. Harry didn't miss the strange facial expression that Kagari made after kissing her knuckle. He was mildly impressed at the man's ability to be unaffected by her allure, but was wondering what that expression had been.

"Merci, monsieur. Et vous" she replied. Kagari smiled, though this time it seemed more than a simple smile to Harry. For some strange reason, it reminded him of Musubi. Speaking of…

"Are Sahashi and Musubi here?" Harry asked. For some strange reason, he instinctively assumed they would both be here. Why, he wasn't sure, but some part of him knew it was almost guaranteed.

Kagari nodded. "Yeah, they arrived about 5 days ago. I'm guessing you're the one that Miya wanted to meet?"

Harry nodded, not missing the mild grimace behind his (her?) statement. Apparently, whenever Miya wanted to meet someone, it was rarely pleasant. Kagari turned and beckoned into the house. "She's in here. I think Sahashi is in his room, and Musubi was in the washroom."

The trio entered into the parlor, and seated at the table was a woman with purple hair, wearing a matching purple hakama and a white haori. While Kagari and Gabby continued on, warning bells were ringing in Harry's head. He stopped at the other end of the table, searching his memory banks as fast he possibly could for any memory regarding the woman in front of him.

As if feeling his eyes on her, she looked up with a friendly smile, her bangs not hiding the sweet brown eyes that took only a few moments for recognition to set in. And just like that, they turned blood red, the smile became a snarl, and quicker than either Kagari or Gabby could see, she had a wooden spoon under Harry's chin, pinning him against the wall, and a dark aura was permeating the air around them. "YOU!" she snarled, and Harry was suddenly doubled-over, holding his head.

_~~Flashback~~_

"_Takehito! Get out of here!" Harry was casting spell after spell, putting out electrical fires as fast as they were forming, trying to protect the man who'd become his friend._

"_I'm not leaving you to do this alone!" The man was trying to collect everything he could, keeping an eye on the crystal that was overloading_

"_You'll die if you don't! Think of Miya! Think of the rest of the Sekirei! They need you!"_

"_I can't help them if I just leave now! This data is what will save them! I'm not just about to abandon it!"_

_~~End Flashback~~_

"AHHHH!" Harry was on the floor, holding his head between his hands as the memory hit him. And he knew it was a memory, because unlike the dream, he was wide awake, and his occlumency barriers were being shredded by his own mind.

Gabby had frozen in shock at seeing Miya charge her lover so angrily, but moved into action once he collapsed. At first, she'd thought Miya had done something to him, but the way he was holding his head suggested otherwise. Whatever it was, she knew she wasn't going to like it.

"What did you do to him, Miya" Kagari asked slowly and cautiously. The sounds of footsteps drew his attention, seeing that Minato and Musubi had both shown up, the latter wrapped in a towel.

"Nothing…" she answered harshly, before turning a look at him. "Yet" she added with finality. Kagari almost blanched at the tone, and caught Minato backing up fearfully. He was surprised to see Musubi's eyes suddenly change colors, turning violet as she charged towards the downed man, whose whole body was vibrating. He couldn't explain it, but it felt as if the man was pumping out some sort of energy. Whatever it was, he could feel the vibrations in the air.

Kagari and Minato were startled by a vase in the room suddenly shattering. Miya merely cast a quick eye at it, raised an eyebrow, then turned towards the man she was dedicating all her anger towards. Both men exchanged a confused look, then turned towards the three on the floor, catching the last of what the blonde was saying.

"...Follow my voice, EJ, follow my voice. Let the memory play itself out, stop fighting it. What comes will come. Focus on my voice, deep breathes mon amor." Harry was noticeably calming down, and after a few moments, simply collapsed into both girls' waiting arms. Gabby pulled out her wand, which had Miya raising her spoon again, and waived it over him before sighing deeply.

"Well… this could have gone better" she vocalized, before turning to the other girl. She took her all in, most noticeably the violet eyes. "Oh, so it's you, is it?" she asked, cocking her head. The brunette didn't answer, just turned a questioning look towards her. Gabby shook her head almost imperceptibly, before adding, "You must be Musubi. I'm Gabby."

The brunette regarded her for a moment, before nodding her head. "Nice to meet you!" she responded energetically, hoping to sound like her host. Agreeing non-verbally with the blonde it was neither the time or place, she looked back down at the ebony-haired man. "What happened to him?" she asked, turning towards the landlady. "What'd you do?"

Before the woman could respond, Gabby interrupted. "It's not her" she defended, drawing all eyes. "Well… not directly her. If I'm not mistaken…" she turned her own eyes on the spoon-wielding woman, "whoever you are, you broke through a mental barrier of his."

"Mental barrier?" Kagari asked tentatively, still not willing to move forward less he enter Miya's line of sight.

Gabby sighed deeply, and ran her hand through her hair like Harry often did. "Yeah. We were afraid of this." She turned towards the man in question. "He's currently passed out. Whatever memory you drug up, breaking that barrier took a lot out of him. And while I'd rather take him back to the hotel, I'm not able to carry him up to our room."

"He will stay here until he wakes" Miya promptly ordained, with more heat than anyone was expecting. "He can use the room next to Sahashi's. It is currently available."

"I'll carry him up there" Musubi promptly offered. Ignoring Gabby's questioning look, she picked up Harry with ease and disappeared towards the identified room. Gabby was left gawking, her mouth open. Movement caught her eye, and she saw Minato slowly stepping towards her, the familiar glazed-over look in his eyes. She sighed, then cast a stinging hex at the man's leg, which had him yelping and holding it while dancing in place.

"I think we need to have a discussion" Miya supplied, startling Gabby, who, in her annoyance at the man, had forgotten she was there. _'Oh shit! I just used magic in front of NOMAs!'_

An hour later, Harry was stirring from his slumber. Rolling over, he immediately held a hand to his head, rubbing his temple. _'What… the fuck. Ok, if I wasn't sure before, I am now. Definitely a memory block, and a powerful one at that.'_

"So, this is what the great Dr Black does in his time off." The voice registered with Harry, but he was almost certain he was imagining things, because it was too much of a coincidence she'd be here. "What's the matter, too much sake?"

Harry rolled on his back, leaned on his elbows, and looked up at the familiar face of Uzume leaning on the wall next to the door, arms crossed with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Uzume?" he questioned, more for proprietary than actual wondering. He knew it was her, he was just unsure _how_ it was her.

"Must've been some good stuff if you're having trouble remembering little ol' me" she retorted with a wide smile.

"'Good' is certainly not the right word here" he mumbled, sitting upright. He took around, adjusting to his surroundings. He saw it was still light out, though darkness was creeping fast. The events of the evening came rushing back to him in a hurry. "No, definitely not the right word."

"So I've heard, mister magic user." That froze Harry, and he slowly looked up at Uzume, that mischievous glint shining in her eye. "Whoda thunk that the great Doctor Black was actually a wizard that can do magic. Almost feels like cheating if you're using magic to accomplish everything you've done." It was fairly rare to be put on the back foot so easily in just about anything not related to flirting. So he did the only thing he could do and attacked.

"Well, considering Chiho is a squib you shouldn't really be complaining." That had Uzume's smile slowly falling off as she stepped towards him.

"What're you talking about?" she asked, the teasing manner gone. He couldn't deny his surprise, thinking she'd have been aware. Then again, not all squibs knew they were squibs, so it's a distinctive possibility Chiho herself didn't even know.

"Chiho has magic in her veins" he answered calmly, slowly getting to his feet. He began stretching himself out, undoing the kinks that had formed.

"If she has magic, how come I've never seen her use any of it?" The disbelief was evident in her voice, reaffirming Harry's thought that perhaps Chiho didn't even know. Considering how close the two of them were, it's highly unlikely that Chiho would've hid something like this from her lover.

"Chiho's your Ashikabi isn't she" Harry threw out. He had to blink at that, wondering where in the high heavens that question came from, as that was nothing that he was intending to say. His mouth was working on its own it seemed.

But as surprised as he was at his own question, Uzume's eyes looked incredibly frog-like at the moment, her jaw doing its best to hit the floor. "Ho- how do you know that?" she squeaked out.

"I'm not sure" Harry answered honestly, scratching the back of his head. "I feel like I know more than I do about Ashikabis and Sekireis, but something is preventing me from remembering it all."

"Another memory block, perhaps?" Gabby's voice permeated the air as the door slid open. Behind her was Kagari looking on worriedly.

"I think so" he admitted whilst hugging the lithe girl. "Thank you for calming me down. Whatever they did to me, it hurt worse than being bitten by that basilisk when I broke through it."

"You mean when Miya broke through it" Gabby corrected, and he conceded her correction.

"Yeah. Whoever she is, we have a past. And I don't think I'm going to like whatever it was that happened between us."

"No, you're not" Gabby corrected again, sounding slightly defeated, and at the same time worried. Very worried, if what he was sensing through their bond was any indication.

"That bad, huh?" he asked, and she nodded into his shoulder.

"You need to talk to her. And I mean _talk_ with her. She's borderline ready to kill you" Gabby told him, and he just sighed in resignation. "In fact, I think she would have already, but she wants to hear whatever it is from you first."

"That's pretty bad. Great." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, before another thought hit him. "By the way, how much did you tell them about magic?" She went rigid in his arm, and he had to fight back a laugh. "Uzume let it slip that she knew I was magical. And I vaguely remember something shattering during my mental meltdown, which I'm assuming was some accidental magic I was throwing out?"

"She also hit Sahashi-san with something she called a stinging hex" Kagari provided helpfully from behind. Gabby spun and gaped at him for the betrayal, while Harry just laughed and drew her back into a hug.

"I'm guessing Sahashi was succumbing to your allure then?"

"You really are too smart for your own good" she mumbled into his shoulder, before punching him in the chest.

"Not as smart as I like to think I am" he stated, kissing the top of her head. "And you didn't answer me."

Groaning at her failed attempt to divert his attention, she stepped back and sighed. "I told them how magic was real, showed them a couple things, and explained how certain mental magics can block and/or erase memories altogether, and how breaking through those barriers, or regaining certain memories can have the effect that they witnessed with you. It was towards the end of that that Uzume here showed up, and I was so surprised I nearly pissed myself."

"So, everyone here knows, now?"

She nodded, and he mirrored it, resigned. "Alright, then. Time to face the music."

They followed Kagari back down to the table, Miya already sitting at her place at the head, eyes meeting Harry's the moment they entered. Eyes that Harry had seen in others, right before a blood bath began. He couldn't deny that such a sight got his blood pumping, and a part of him that hadn't been used in a while was aching for her to attack him.

"Hello again, Doctor Asama." If she was surprised by his knowledge of her appellation, she wasn't showing it.

"Hello yourself, Doctor Black." He stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills with the purple-haired woman. It continued for several minutes before Kagari coughed, and both eyes snapped to him momentarily.

"Please, seat yourself, Black-san" Miya said, much more friendly than Harry was expecting. Nonetheless, he offered his hand to Gabby as she sat, then took his seat next to her at the opposite end from Miya. Next to her was Kagari on one side, and, surprisingly, Minato. Gabby was next to Kagari on Harry's left, and to his right was Uzume. Between Uzume and Minato sat Musubi, whose chocolate brown eyes were sparkling in recognition towards him.

"So" she began, drawing all eyes towards Miya. "I believe everyone here knows everyone already, but let us introduce ourselves. I am Asama Miya." She turned towards the other ebony-haired man, who looked like a deer in headlights being put on the spot.

"Sahashi Minato" the he provided, more croaked, before turning to the girl next to him.

"Number 88, Musubi. I'm a fist-type!" the brunette exclaimed excitedly with a two-handed fist pump. Harry wasn't sure what that meant, and judging by Gabby's face she didn't either, but his inner workings associated it with her being a Sekirei, so sidelined it for now.

"Uzume" the long-haired brunette offered with a smile. Instead of looking at him, she looked pointedly at the third male in the group.

"Guess I'm next, then. I'm Kagari" he offered with a wave.

"Gabrielle Delacour."

He momentarily considered telling his real name, but instantly signed off that, as it wasn't a can of worms he was willing to open to strangers. Then he considered using his titles as a Black, but decided against that as well, as Miya hadn't used hers. "EJ Black" he finally said, meeting everyone's eyes before settling on Miyas. "Or Black EJ, in the Japanese norm. Not really sure how I should say it" he added with a shrug.

"Now that we're introduced, from what I've been told, you've met everyone here at least once before today, is that correct?" He nodded confirmation towards the three on his right, but turned a questioning look towards Kagari.

"I work as a host at a club. You two came there with a friend of yours about a month ago. I admit, if it wasn't for Gabby I wouldn't have remembered you at all."

Harry admitted he didn't remember the man whatsoever, but Gabby nodded her confirmation of the man's statement, so he took her word for it.

Finally he turned his attention back towards the woman at the end of the table, waiting for her to make the next move. "Yes, we've met more than a few times, Mister Black. At least, that's the name you're going by now. I assume you have reason for not telling them your real name?" she nodded towards the three on her left and Kagari before turning her attention back towards him.

"Yes, I do" he declared adamantly. He raised his hand, and wandlessly summoned the rubber ducky from the table next to her hand, surprising all but the woman and Gabby. He held it up to lips and spoke slowly but clearly. "And if you think you can discover what my true name is, whoever you are, good luck. However, should you succeed, I swear on my life and magic to reward you accordingly." At his declaration, a light glow surrounded him before dissipating. He banished the duck towards the woman, landed it gently in the place it was in previously.

"Who were you talking to?" Minato prompted, looking at him questioningly. Harry just smiled, shaking his head. He caught Uzume's smirk, and Kagari's surprised reaction. Gabby was giggling next to him, then elbowed him and whispered "show-off."

"I see Gabby-san's acclaims towards your magical prowess were not overstated" Kagari offered.

"Indeed" Miya provided, before Harry could respond, not taking her eyes off him. "In fact, she has severely understated, if my memory of him is accurate."

"What is going on?" Minato interjected, drawing all attention to him. He looked awfully confused: his eyes were wide, his mouth opening and closing, and his attention kept shifting between the two newcomers and their hostess. It was one of the last motions that another part of the conversation caught up to him. "And you're a Doctor, Miya-dono? I'm so sorry!" he begged off, bowing to her.

To the group's amusement, she tittered at him, waving him off. "That's quite alright, Sahashi-san. I haven't been a practitioner in many years."

"Engineering and pediatrics, if I'm not mistaken" Gabby provided helpfully. At the collective group's attention, she shrugged. "We looked her up on our way over. Wanted to know some of who we were going to speak with. Though…" she glanced at her lover, "it seems we got more than we bargained for."

The violet-haired woman smiled a soft smile and nodded. "That is correct, Delacour-san. Though, as I have said, I've not practiced either in many years."

"Gabby, please" the blonde insisted. "And why not? Pardon my rudeness but what we found in our short research was nothing short of astounding results."

Miya smiled a sad smile, before that gaze hardened and focused back on the black-haired man, who actually did gulp this time. _'Ohhhh goody. What'd I do this time?'_

Before anyone could say anything, Kagari's cell phone rang. He looked at it, then with a strange look excused himself to answer it. A few moments of silence later, he returned in frustration. "Sorry, Miya, duty calls."

"Was that her?" she asked cryptically. Harry caught the quick glance that Kagari sent towards Minato and Musubi before answering.

"Yeah. She said there's another one that needs help. That idiot is letting everyone know, too."

Miya just sighed, whatever frustration she had towards Harry disappearing. "Do what you can. If you must, bring them here."

"Thanks, Miya." With that, Kagari took off towards his room. Moments later, Harry heard doors close.

Before anyone else could speak, Sahashi's cell went off. A quick conversation with someone named 'Say-oh', though Harry was certain it wasn't spelt that way, Minato was hanging up. "That was Say-oh. He says there's a girl in the park who needs help. He's asked me to bring Musubi and help him find her."

"And what does that scoundrel intend to do with her after he finds her" Miya asked. A dark, demonic visage appeared behind her, and Harry was treated to everyone cowering to it. Even Gabby next to him was shaking a bit, as he just smirked and admired it. _'Hmm… it seems I'm not the only one with tricks here am I, Miya?'_

"I-I-I don't know, ma'am" Minato stuttered, holding his hands up in surrender. "He's just asked me to help him find her."

"Very well" Miya stated, the visage disappearing much to everyone's relief, and Harry's disappointment. "Go and get her, bring her back here." She turned towards Harry and Gabby, before focusing on Harry. "Why don't you go with him. I daresay they'll be needing your talents this evening."

Harry merely raised an eyebrow, something he realized he was doing more and more of late. _'Oh...kay… she certainly knows me fairly well. Might as well play along.'_ Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Uzume frowning at him with a questioning glance. "You wanna come with? Should be fun."

The frown deepened, before she shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, not like I have anything else to do right now." He turned towards Gabby, who was looking at him questioningly. He answered her in English.

"_Say here with Miya. You two can chat freely while we're gone. Just keep nosey-Nancy there from listening in" _he pointed a thumb in the direction he sensed another person. The petite blonde frowned at first, then caught his meaning and nodded her agreement.

"_Unfortunately, she speaks English as well" _Miya voiced from the other end of the table with a soft smile.

"_Maybe. But magic has many wonderful abilities, and we have ways to prevent people from listening in, even with the best technologies."_ The last had Miya's eyebrow raising, almost challengingly. He just grinned at her, before turning back to Gabby.

"I'll see you later tonight, ok?" he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She nodded, and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Don't get any blood on this shirt. I like this shirt" she said, fixing his collar. He just laughed.

"Yes, ma'am." With a last peck, he exchanged another look with Miya.

"Do come back, Mister Black. We have so much to talk about." Recognizing the order for what it was, he just smiled and bowed towards her.

"Your wish is my command, Miya-chan." Her eyes flashed dangerously as he just smirked and headed towards the door. Waiting for him were Minato, Uzume and Musubi. "Let's take my car, it'll seat all four of us."

"And what about when we rescue the mystery girl? Will it seat five?" Uzume asked flirtatiously. Harry eagerly rose to the challenge.

"Nope" he replied. "Guess you or Musubi will just hafta sit on my lap, woncha?" He winked at both brunettes, and he caught the flash of violet in the younger girl's eyes. Minato looked on the verge of another nosebleed, though, and he had to fight an internal laugh as they piled into the car.

* * *

"Here, stop here. That's him up there." Minato was pointing to where three persons were standing near a building. To Harry's surprise, he recognized the two women with him, in their S&M outfits no less. _'And the plot thickens.' _Ignoring just how cliché that sounded, he parked the car.

"Hey Minato!" the man called out. The two women turned, and once they saw Harry, their hands were full of lightning.

"YOU!" they chorused, and Harry had to fight back a laugh.

"ME!" he replied instead, pocketing his hands as he strolled up to them. "Small world. Y'know, you two keep following me like that, I'll hafta take you home and punish you."

"Why you-" the one in magenta snarled, starting towards him before her sister held her back.

"You think you can take us on?" the other in dark violet demanded.

"Oh easily. Take you home, spank you a bit. Get those asses nice and red. Then I'll hang ya up by the rafters and leave a vibrator in ya, see how long you last." Both girls went scarlet; whether in rage or embarrassment, though, he wasn't sure.

"Damn, kid, you've got some good ideas" Say-Oh declared. Apparently this was the wrong move, as both girls instantly turned on him, most definitely in rage.

"If you think for one moment," the one in dark violet he'd assigned Thing One began.

"That we will ever let you do that to us," Thing Two continued.

"You'll be dead before you can try" they chorused, then sent him a bolt of electricity. The foursome were treated to the comical view of the man dodging bolts before yielding, and even then he got another bolt before the two girls huffed and turned back towards the group.

"So, which of you two is her Ashikabi?" Uzume and Harry exchanged glances, before both turned and looked expectantly at Minato. He looked more confused than they did.

"Not me" he squeaked out, rubbing the back of his head and an uncomfortable chuckle. With all the eyes on him, he took a step back. "Musubi told me about Ashikabis and Sekireis, but I didn't think I was the best one to be hers. Especially as she reacted to you as well, Black-sama."

"It's EJ, Sahashi. None of this '-sama', I'm not your superior" Harry waved him off, before turning expectantly to Musubi. She looked sad at Minato's admission, but when she met his eye, that violet flashed in her eye again, and held his gaze for a while before disappearing. Harry nodded, realizing there was more to it than what Minato was saying.

Turning back towards the duo, he answered their expectant gazes. "It appears neither of us are. And no, your Ashikabi will not be claiming her."

"As if we'd let the lazy layabout take any more Sekireis" Thing One declared, sending daggers at the man that Harry hadn't realized was unconscious. He really needed to learn more about what Sekireis and Ashikabis were. He didn't think he could bullshit his way much longer. Considering he was now firmly of the belief that several of the women in his life were actually Sekirei, he knew he had to confront them about it soon, and what that had to do with this 'game' that Hana was so adamantly against.

"So why are you here for the girl, then?" Minato asked. Harry was surprised at the sudden determination, and shared a surprised look with Uzume. He noticed that Musubi was reacting again, openly, and holding a fist to her chest as she looked at the young man.

"Because our Ashikabi told us to, that's why" Thing Two answered, sighing deeply in frustration. "Why he's doing it, we don't have a clue. But, we do know at least part of it is so no other Ashikabis will come looking for her."

Uzume and Harry exchanged a bemused look, before an equally distrustful one towards the unconscious man. "Altruism does not appear to be his strong suit" Harry offered, looking at the ragged man.

Both girls just scoffed. "Not in the slightest. Why we ever thought winging ourselves to him was a good idea, we'll never know" Thing One whined, hanging her head.

"Because we were younger, naive and stupid, that's why" Thing Two answered.

"Ok Thing One, Thing Two, enough whining already" Harry called out, getting their attention. "Where is this girl, do y'all know?"

They both turned and pointed at the forest, ignoring the nicknames. "In there. Say-Oh got a text saying the 'Green Girl' was in there waiting to be winged.

"Green girl?" Harry's thought was echoed by Minato, and he looked him curiously. Seeing he'd spoken aloud, he answered the unasked question. "I had this weird dream the last few nights, about a little girl referred to as the Green Girl. And all day, I've been hearing a little girl's voice calling for me. I thought I was going crazy."

Harry's surprise was matched by everyone else's. "Calling for you?" he repeated.

"Well, not by name, no. But, she was calling for her onii-san, her big brother if you will. I recognized the girl's voice from my dream."

'_There is no way my luck is that good that I've ran into another magic-user out of the blue. I don't sense a magical core. He's gotta be a squib, just like Chiho. That, or something else is really playing havoc with this city right now. Now's not the time, though, if a little girl's freedom is on the line. Whatever "winging" is, it sounds pretty permanent to these Sekirei.'_

"Do you hear that?" Uzume's voice drew him out of his thoughts, and he glanced at her before his enhanced hearing picked up what she was referring to.

"Sounds like a fight going on" Harry supplied, turning towards the forest far beyond the military barricade they were in view of.

"What are we waiting for?" Musubi called out excitedly, before grabbing Minato's hand and jumping. Harry watched in fascination as she must've made it a hundred feet in the air, and twice that distance in one leap, clearing the barricade by a large margin.

"Well then, that's different" he drawled, turning towards a smirking Uzume.

"You really are in the dark, aren't you Doc?" she teased, hip checking him.

"More than I'm willing to admit, yeah" he answered, shaking his head. "Alright, let's go say hi." Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed her arm, turned, and with an almost imperceptible *pop*, vanished. Their bodies were yanked into a tube, squeezing them both before being deposited onto the forest floor. Uzume immediately keeled over and dry heaved a few times.

"What in the gods' names was that!?" she screeched after regaining her composure.

"Apparition" he responded blandly, taking stock of the forest. Being amongst the trees, it felt very much alive, as if everything there was watching him.

"Another one of your magic tricks, I presume" she asked rhetorically, holding her stomach. "I don't think I like that one."

"It gets easier the more often you do it" he answered absently, before closing his eyes. "I'm impressed, most people vomit the first time."

"Can't imagine why" she breathed out dryly.

A few deep breaths later through his nose, he opened them. "I smell a young female, prepubescent, likely younger than 10." He searched the ground around him, waving a hand and creating a small ball of light in it. He held it over the ground as he searched, before finding what he was looking for. "Look, she's barefoot. Very small feet, they look like she ran here, but then they just stop at the base of this tree."

He looked up at it, and it was beyond massive. He saw thick limbs interlaced with thick limbs from other trees, forming a path from one to the other. Looking around at the rest of the canopy, he noticed most of the trees had limbs interlaced with others, creating plenty of ways to run from one to the next.

"If I didn't know any better, and I'm willing to admit I don't, I'd say she's in the trees somehow." He turned and looked at his brunette companion, who was following his gaze.

"She is called the 'Green Girl'" she began, before looking at him. "It wouldn't be difficult to believe she actually created all this."

Harry stared incredulously at her, then turned a new appreciative and impressed eye on the forest. "If that's so, then she is fucking powerful. Especially considering her age. Holy shit." He placed a hand on one of the trees, and the sense of being watched returned. "It would also explain why I've felt like I was being watched since we entered the forest. If she created all this, then she's probably able to monitor us through them."

The sounds of fighting reached their ears again, and both turned in the direction it came from. "Let's go, maybe whoever that is fighting knows where she is." Without answering, Uzume took off, running much faster than he'd have given her credit for despite wearing flip-flops. He took the moment to admire her plump rear before following suit.

'_Y'know, that "10" I often saw on her clothes suddenly makes a lot more sense. Musubi said she was Number 88. What if these Sekirei are numbered for some reason? Musubi has 88 on the gauntlets. Hana… if she's a Sekirei, where's the… wait. That tattoo. It was the Avatar symbol for Airbending. It has the three squiggly 6'es. What if that was intentional? Is she number 3? Perhaps 6? And would it be so hard to believe that "Air" or "Wind" is her power? That seems way too easy. But… what if?'_

The sounds of fighting got louder, and the two skidded to a stop in a clearing. In front of them, two matches were going on: on their right, a fire user and an ice user were going at it. On the left, Musubi and a girl with a scythe were fighting. And he used that term loosely, as Musubi was being manhandled… or, should he say, woman-handled, though it didn't exactly roll off the tongue. Regardless, Musubi was losing and badly, and Minato was nowhere in sight.

Harry was momentarily distracted by the scythe wielder, who'd just flipped over Musubi, displaying to all her lack of panties. At the same time, Musubi's top was split open, her ladies now on view to all.

"Come on, Musubi! What's the point of all that training you've been doing with Miya if you're just gonna lose!" He was brought out of his perverted thoughts by Uzume's sudden declaration. A few moments later, the words sank in, and he was momentarily confused by the _'training with Miya' _part, before understanding hit him.

'_Of course Miya is a Sekirei. Because, why wouldn't she be? Wait, stupid Potter. Of course she is! I was so distracted by everything going on I didn't even register the power she was putting out when using that Demon-visage. Gotta learn how she does that. Wonder if it's like my __**Reverse Legilimens **__technique?'_

A sudden male's shout from the woods reached his ears, and without processing it, he took off for its origin, leaving Uzume behind. Making his way through the trees, he stumbled over a downed Minato, who was bleeding from his face profusely, holding his gut. He was staring defiantly at the woman in the long kimono wielding a large, double-sided blade. She was looking at him angrily, her free hand pushing down her skirt.

"How dare you look at my panties! Not even my Ashikabi has seen them! They are not for your eyes! And now, I shall remove them!" She screamed at him, then raised her arms to stab him with her blade. Years of training and reflex kicked him, and Harry was tackling the woman before her swing could connect. Coming out of the roll, he flung her to the side where she slammed into another tree with a grunt. Both of them got back to their feet, and stared each other down.

"I am a princess you filthy worm! How dare you lay your hands on me!"

"And _I_ don't give a shit, cause you were trying to kill my friend here" Harry retorted, indicating Minato behind him.

"He laid his eyes upon that which was not his to see! He must be punished!"

"Considering your skirt is so short that I can see your underwear from here, maybe that's your fault."

Wide-eyed, she looked down and saw that her skirt had ridden up again, and angrily pushed it back down. "Filthy pervert! Now I will gouge your eyes out as well, and then I will remove his!" She charged him, swinging the blade wildly. Harry merely moved to the side like a torero, and even slapped her on the bottom. Turning around, she screamed and charged him again, and he once more stepped out of the way, with another spank and a dramatic, "Ole!"

That only served to rile her up more, but this time she threw the blade at him. He dodged it again, and watched the blade sink into a tree nearby. Sensing her behind him, he spun as she drew another blade, this one shorter. They ended up sparring, and Harry was surprised by the woman's strength. This was added by her trying to throw him, while failing, succeeded in getting him over her head, which he reversed and threw her into a tree.

To his dismay, he threw her into the one that had her blade sticking out of it, which she quickly took notice of. Before she could retaliate, two bolts of lighting landed at her feet. Harry looked and saw the twins landing next to him, their hands ready for another attack.

"This is not the last you've heard from me!" the woman cried out, before disappearing into the trees, opposite the direction he'd come from.

"Damn, and I thought _I _was cliché" Harry mused, chuckling to himself. He turned towards his fellow man that was trying and failing to stop the bleeding. Harry noticed it wasn't a nosebleed as he'd thought… well, not just a nosebleed, though this one looks to be because his nose was broken. But also his mouth was bleeding, as were the couple cuts he had, most likely from the woman that'd just left.

Pulling out his wand, he waved it over the man's face, and read the parchment that appeared. Confirming what he had observed, he vanished the parchment. "Remove your hand, Minato. I'm going to fix you up." Seeing the questioning disbelief, he pulled the man's hand off his face, letting the blood run freely. With another wave of his wand, the nose audibly snapped into place, and he saw the twins flinch at the sound from the corner of his eye.

After removing Sahashi's hand again, that was checking his nose, he cast a few cleaning charms at his mouth and the cuts. As the blood disappeared, the cuts began threatening to replace the missing blood. He waved his wand again, and the cuts sealed themselves up. Sahashi's eyes went wide as he felt his face.

"How did you do that?" he asked wide-eyed.

"Magic" Harry retorted, waving his wand over the man's stomach. Another parchment appeared, this one much shorter. Reading it and vanishing it, Harry holstered his wand again. "Can you stand?" Seeing the nod, he held out a hand and pulled him to his feet. "Got the wind knocked out of ya pretty bad, eh?"

"Yeah, she caught me by surprise" he admitted, rubbing his stomach. "Then after I was already on the ground, I saw up her skirt and she tweaked out. I was surprised she didn't do more damage to my face than she did."

"Lashing out angrily often causes one to miss their targets more easily" Harry offered. Even from up-close. It's likely she intended to, but was so riled up she couldn't even control her own attacks."

"That's a real comfort" the man responded dryly. "Anyways, thank you for saving me."

"Don't worry about it" he replied, before point a thumb at the twins. "Thank them, they're the ones that chased her off."

While he was thanking them, Harry turned and took in the area. He jumped to the conclusion that they must be near the girl, as why else would a sekirei have attacked Minato here. That, or she was just the angry type, both were possible solutions in Harry's mind. Pulling out his wand, he cast a few charms, and realized he was fairly close to the mark, as there was someone nearby, about 50 meters away and half that above them.

Leaving the trio behind, he took off in the direction the spell pointed him, and arrived at the base of a very, very large tree. Even without the various spells he used, Harry knew he'd have found the girl's hiding spot just from the fact that every single limb and branch was moving on this tree. Holstering the wand again, he slowly stepped forward as to not attract too much attention.

He was 3 meters from the tree when he caught sight of the girl. She was curled up on a large limb high above him. He'd not have noticed her at all had she not leaned over and looked at him. She was so small; her pale green dress and light brown hair hid her amongst the canopy.

"Hi there" he called up, waving his hand with a smile. "This is a very nice tree you have here. May I climb it?"

She just looked at him, and he stayed put as to not frighten her. After a few minutes, she held out a small arm and beckoned him up. He briefly considered just apparating up there, but in the interest of not scaring her, decided against it and began his slow climb. Several minutes later, he was pulling himself up onto the same branch the little girl was on. She had moved further out on it, clearly not afraid of heights, and the branches of the trees were moving in a protective manner.

He sat down, his back against the tree trunk, and crossed his legs. "That was fun. It's been a long time since I've climbed a tree. Even longer since I've climbed one this high. I'm EJ, what's your name?" he asked, smiling at the girl. Now that he was up there, he realized her hair wasn't light brown but a soft, golden yellow. And, to his surprise, she had green eyes, just like he did.

"Kusano" she answered quietly. Were it not for his enhanced hearing, he might not have heard it.

"That's a very pretty name, Kusano" he replied. "A pretty name for a pretty girl." She giggled at him, and it reminded him not unlike Gabby used to when they first met.

'_No! Do not go down that road. Way, way, wayyyy too young for you.'_

"You're pretty too" she replied, moving slightly closer.

Harry mimicked being embarrassed, being shy and turning his head. "You're just saying that, I'm ugly."

"No you're not!" she screeched, and he was surprised by how fast she'd ended up nearly in his lap. _'Damn, that was quick. And I didn't even sense her moving. Who the hell is this girl?'_

"You're very handsome" she declared adamantly, sitting fully in his lap, legs crossed. "I'm the ugly one." In response, he just reached out and tickled her, and she began laughing.

"If you're ugly then I'm very, very ugly" he declared, tickling her some more before pulling her back into his lap.

After she caught her breath, she turned and looked up at him with her bright green eyes. They sat there for a few minutes, before she began moving towards his lips.

Startled, he almost didn't move, until she was close enough and turned his head at the last moment. She ended up kissing his cheek before pulling back. To thank her, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, too, not giving her the chance to turn her head.

"Are you my big brother?" she asked softly, looking somewhat fearful but hopeful again. His smile softened, feeling sadness at what the girl wanted.

He shook his head. "No, I am not, kiddo." Before she could pull away, he tightened her arms around her. "But I know where he is."

Her bright green eyes lit up in excitement. "Really! Where?" Without answering, Harry leaned over and pointed with his chin down at the ground. She followed his look, and saw Minato standing there looking up at them, the twins behind him doing the same.

"He's right there. He's the one who heard you calling for him. I just came with to help him find you. And to keep the bad people from getting you."

"Who are those two weird-looking ladies?" she asked, and he had to fight back a laugh. Mostly successfully.

"Those, uh, 'weird-looking ladies' are… uh… actually, I don't know their names" he admitted, realizing he didn't. "I just call them Thing One and Thing Two."

She giggled at that. "You're really silly." He just smiled and maturely stuck his tongue at her, and she mimicked the action back, her petite tongue hardly larger than - and just as red as - a cherry tomato.

"Are they my brother's sekirei, too?" She asked, the pure curiosity and innocence in her eyes dazzling him. He was surprised that she didn't seem upset by the idea she might have to share. _'I am REALLY in the dark on this Sekirei/Ashikabi business.'_

"Nope, they are with another friend of your brother's. They helped us fight off another Sekirei who wanted to get to you."

"Friends! Yay! I always wanted more friends!" Harry nearly teared up at that, reminded very bluntly about a little, 13 year-old blonde he met when he was 14 and was stuck at that blasted castle for a year. It had taken him nearly 2 months to convince her he wanted to be her friend. "Can they be my big sisters?"

Harry chuckled. "You'll have to ask them yourself. How about we go down and meet them?"

"Okay!" she cried, and went to jump off the limb. Harry barely caught her, almost losing his own balance and making the 75 foot plunge head first.

"Quite the daredevil you are, aren't you?" he asked, tickling her lightly, causing her to laugh. "Tell you what, I'm going to get us down there in a very special way, okay? It'll feel as if you're going through a straw. You know what a straw is, right?

She just giggled and poked him the nose. "Yes, silly, I know what a straw is. You're being stupid."

Harry just laughed at her antics. _'Kids are amazing.'_ "Well alright miss smartypants, it's going to feel really funny, and you'll have to hold on tight, but we'll both get there really quick."

"Okay!" she repeated, and clung onto him. He chuckled as he stood up, holding her in his arms. And with a spin and a pop, apparated to the forest floor right behind the twins.

"WHEE!" Kusano screamed in his ear, before leaning back and looking at him. "Can we do that again?" Harry just laughed, bumping his forehead against hers before setting her down. _'Only a Sekirei child would think Apparation was fun.'_

"Another time, okay? Right now, I want to introduce you to your big brother." She immediately turned around, and saw Minato wide-eyed in front of them. She took a few slow steps towards him, then sprinted and leapt into his arms, tackling him to the ground.

"ONII-SAN!" she cried out, squeezing him tightly. Harry just laughed at the boy's predicament, then beckoned the twins as he turned and headed back towards the others.


	4. Child's Play

**Previously in Jade Ashikabi:**

_He sat down, his back against the tree trunk, and crossed his legs. "That was fun. It's been a long time since I've climbed a tree. Even longer since I've climbed one this high. I'm EJ, what's your name?" he asked, smiling at the girl. Now that he was up there, he realized her hair wasn't light brown but a soft, golden yellow. And, to his surprise, she had green eyes, just like he did._

_"Kusano" she answered quietly._

_….._

_ "WHEE!" Kusano screamed in his ear, before leaning back and looking at him. "Can we do that again?" Harry just laughed, bumping his forehead against hers before setting her down. 'Only a Sekirei child would think Apparation was fun.'_

_ "Another time, okay? Right now, I want to introduce you to your big brother." She immediately turned around, and saw Minato wide-eyed in front of them. She took a few slow steps towards him, then sprinted and leapt into his arms, tackling him to the ground._

_ "ONII-SAN!" she cried out, squeezing him tightly. Harry just laughed at the boy's predicament, then beckoned the twins as he turned and headed back towards the others._

* * *

Several minutes later, after Minato and Kusano caught up to them, the five emerged in the initial battle ground. Harry was both amused and surprised at the area, half of everything was frozen, the other half on fire, quite a few trees were felled, several small craters dotted the area, and the same four fighters were still going at it. And off to the side, Uzume was acting like she was at a professional wrestling match. All that was missing was the nachos.

His sentiment was shared by the twins, which he shared bemused looks with before they shook their heads and took off, taking several leaps before leaving the clearing altogether. Minato was stock-still, slack-jawed as he watched. Kusano's eyes were lit up in excitement, the fighting exciting her as well. _'Has to be a Sekirei thing. Wait, that girl in black seems familiar. So does the one she's fighting. Why does she look familiar?'_

By this point Harry had moved over to where Uzume was, ignoring the girl's cheering as she went between the fights. Apparently the one in black was called 'Homura', and the one she was fighting called 'Akitsu'. Upon hearing the name, Harry felt a few more bells going off, but was distracted by the amazing fights.

Kusano was really enjoying them, and even took a few steps towards them as well. This got two of the girls' attentions, as the one with the scythe suddenly screamed "THERE SHE IS!" With a swing, she clocked Musubi upside the head, and ran towards the group. The one in black turned and hit her with a fireball, sending her careening into a tree. But she herself was summarily attacked by the ice user, who blasted her across the clearing.

Turning her attention towards the group, she raised her hands, and the four of them were surrounded by ice. More than likely would've been encased, had Harry not put up a powerful shield spell laced with a warming one. The heat of the shield kept the ice away, which surprised the ice user long enough for Harry to send a fireball back at her. The protective ice wall she put up deflected the fireball, but blocked her vision. Harry took the presented opportunity and apparated right in front of her.

As she lowered the wall, she went to attack him again, but stopped, her stoic eyes widening slightly in recognition. Harry himself froze, as another memory tore through his mind.

_~~Flashback~~_

"_Harry, I'd like to introduce to you Number 7, Akitsu. Akitsu, this is a friend of mine, Harry."_

_Harry couldn't help but gawk at the well-endowed woman. How the provided clothes were holding up against her assets could only be attested to magic. Powerful magic at that, as he could practically hear the fabric screaming for help. A quick elbow nudge by the smirking silver-haired man reminded him he was supposed to say something. "Um uh... Hello, uh... Akitsu" he uttered loquaciously, feeling his tongue swell up._

_To her credit, she didn't get angry at his open gawking, or laugh at his discomfort. She did, however, blush. "Ah… hello, Harry" she said softly, trying to hide her face. The two just stood there very awkwardly, Takehito failing to hide his amused smirk._

_~~End Flashback~~_

He was viciously yanked out of the memory by being suddenly blasted by an ice pillar. Flying across the clearing, he was coherent enough to cast cushioning charms, which mitigated his impact somewhat. But the damage was done; he could already feel his own magic working to repair himself. Never before had he been more grateful for the years of grueling training, let alone the ritual he went through that increased his durability.

Coughing up and spitting out a wad of blood, he slowly got back to his feet to see the very well-endowed woman approaching him, her face angrier than any woman he'd ever seen before. He was leaning against the tree, quickly taking in the sudden change of pace. He saw Uzume had taken to bodyguard duty for Minato and Kusano. At least he was assuming the woman in white veils was Uzume, as he hadn't sensed anyone else enter the clearing. She had all three of them in a spherical cocoon of sorts, and was pulling them all up back into the trees. He saw 'Homura' coming back to, taking in the area as well. Musubi was standing guard over the scythe user, clearly torn between helping him and watching her charge.

He turned his attention back to the woman, whose very footsteps were freezing the ground as she approached, rage dominating her demeanor. _'First Miya, now this Akitsu? What in the fucking nine levels of hell happened back then?' _The raising of her arm had him diving out of the way. Good thing, too, as a spike impacted the tree he was leaning against, and even caused the titanic trunk to rock a bit.

Rolling back to his feet, he got another shield spell up as a flurry of ice spikes were sent his way. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn she was getting more powerful as the fight went on. That, or whatever he did to her was pissing her off. _'"Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned." Got that fucking right. I haven't taken this much damage in a fight since fighting Voldemort. Fucking hell.'_

As if divining his thoughts, she created a mini snowstorm, and sent icicle daggers his way from above. Getting his warming charm-laced shield up, she caught him off guard by freezing the ground behind him. He had only begun to adjust to this development, before an ice wall formed in front of her, and was suddenly moving towards him. Realizing he was quickly getting pinned, he created a wall of fire around him, an overpowered _**inferno tempest **_to counter it all. To his immense surprise, while the wall and ice floor shattered, they didn't so much as melt or disappear as he expected but were vaporized. The result was a very thick fog of steam built up between and around the two fighters.

Realizing his sudden opening, he disapparated as quietly as he could up into one of the limbs. He took stock of the aerial view, saw that Akitsu had not advanced on his last known position. Instead, she just stood there, the [ironic] fire in her eyes evident even from his point of view. He decided to just end it as quickly as he could: disillusioning himself then apparating behind her. He was nearly caught off guard, as she flicked a hand back in his direction, how she knew he was there was beyond him. He sidestepped the singular spike, then cast a river of stunners at the woman, having expected her to block some of them. Again, to his surprise, she didn't, and collapsed after the 3rd one hit her.

A sudden shattering sound behind him had him spinning around wand up. There, not a meter behind where he had initially apparated, Musubi was standing, her fist outstretched where she had punched the ice spike. _'Ah, so it wasn't me she was aiming for. Ok, phew, that is oddly reassuring.' _He looked the brunette in the eye, saw the violet eyes there instead of chocolate, and nodded at her. The stoic face nodded back, smiling softly before reverting to the chocolate-eyed, chubby-cheeked face of young Musubi, who was blinking in confusion as she realized she'd moved.

"Black-sama!" she suddenly cried, running over and hugging him tightly. "We won! We won! Yay!" Harry had to tighten every muscle in his back and stomach to avoid being crushed by the surprisingly strong young woman's grasp. Though, that only helped slightly, as his already damaged ribs and muscles made themselves known. _'Ohhh lordy, gonna be in SOOO much pain tomorrow.'_

"Is everyone alright?" he asked after she let him down. He waved his wand a few times over himself, reading the self-diagnostic and grunting at what he already expected to see._ 'Damn, that woman packed a punch. Strained my left shoulder, lots of bruises developing. Gonna be sore in the morning that's for sure. This was _NOT_ how I imagined this evening going. Not to mention what Musubi just did to me. Oof.'_

"I'm alright. Just a bit sore" Kagari's voice offered from the black mask, rubbing his neck. Harry fought his reaction at discovering why they seemed familiar. "That's what I get for taking my eyes off a scrapped number."

"'Scrapped number'? What's that mean?" Harry asked, looking over the dirty blonde laying at his feet. He bent down and waved his wand over her, doing his standard check. He noticed, while waiting for the parchment to fill, that she had a strange symbol on her forehead. It looked like a bird of some sort, with a yin-yang symbol underneath, and a few… he wasn't sure how to address them, teardrops maybe? Almost looked like quotation marks, but that seemed dumb. But, then again, tattoos only had to made sense to the person who wore them.

"'Scrapped Numbers' are Sekirei whose adjustments failed. Akitsu is unable to be winged by an Ashikabi; that's why her Sekirei symbol is on her forehead" Kagari answered, and Harry's demeanor towards the symbol darkened. _'Well, that answers that question. It's a brand. Still need to learn what this "winging" is, but that can wait. But if Uzume is "winged", where is hers?'_

"So, these symbols, do all Sekirei have them? If so, where are they normally?"

"Only those who have been winged have their symbols appear. The exception being before your feet. As to where they are normally, usually on the back somewhere, but I've heard they could appear just about anywhere. The Lightning Twins' are on their thighs, for example." Harry thought over the encounter when they'd first met, and remembered seeing matching tattoos on their thighs, mirroring each other. Though, he couldn't remember what they looked like.

"Mine is right between my shoulder blades, if you're wondering." Uzume's voice drew attention towards her, as she brought her charges back to ground level. Kusano was riding piggy-back to Minato, who was looking very worried at what had just happened, and no small amount of concern towards Musubi especially.

"How have I never seen it, then?"

"I cover it up before any of our shenanigans happen" she answered coyly, as Kagari turned red. Black just chuckled.

"So, 'Homura', where is yours?" Harry emphasized the person's name, smirking at the man's surprise. To his credit, he recovered quickly. And looked away in shame.

"I am un-winged, still. I don't have a crest."

A sudden peeling of tires had the group looking towards the road, and saw a black limo take off down the street.

"Mikogami Hayato" Kagari provided to the group. "I guess he didn't appreciate two of his Sekirei losing."

"I thought you said Akitsu couldn't be 'winged'?" Harry asked, indicating the still unconscious girl. "How could she be his?"

"She told me before we started fighting that he found her in a park, abandoned and discarded. Apparently, he took her in, and she agreed to be his Sekirei in exchange.

Harry had gotten angry at hearing the woman before him had been simply thrown away, likely due to being unable to 'wing', which he still didn't quite understand. But he was getting the idea it was some sort of bond formed between Ashikabi and Sekirei, and important to the Sekirei to do so. Considering the bird-tattoo/ symbol on her forehead, 'winging' seemed apt.

He was unaware of how much magical power he was putting out with how angry he was, that it wasn't until Musubi grabbed his shoulder and turned him towards her that he calmed down. Though, it wasn't so much that it was Musubi, as the violet-eyed passenger she had that was forefront that got him to relax. It was as he looked down to take a deep breath and get his occlumency under control that he realized she was completely topless, with only her white panties and red gauntlets still in one piece.

Chuckling, he waved his wand and turned the scraps into another gi, similar to what she was wearing before. She looked down and laughed, before leaning in and hugging him in thanks again. "That'll hold you off until we get you back to Izumo." He glanced at the other raven-head. "You can look now, Minato, she has clothes on again."

"So I can protect my modesty!" she suddenly chanted, to Harry's confusion. Kagari and Uzume just laughed, and he quirked a questioning eyebrow towards the latter, who just shook her head and mouthed "later". He nodded, and turned towards the short-haired brunette, who had relapsed to her chocolate-eyed persona.

"What do we do with her?" he asked, pointing at the woman with the scythe who was still unconscious.

"Well…" Kagari drew out, uncomfortable about whatever it was he was about to suggest. "Technically, she was defeated in battle, so we could take her crest." Uzume and Musubi stiffened at that, even Kusano tightened her arms around Minato.

"I take it that's a big deal?" Harry stated slowly, taking in each of their reactions.

"Taking her crest removes her from the game, EJ-sama" Uzume prompted hesitantly, albeit softly, while Musubi just nodded. "It means she won't be woken again until it's all over, if at all."

"'If at all'? What do you mean 'If at all'? Why wouldn't she be reawakened?" At that, Kagari just snarled, Musubi just looked down, and even Uzume cringed a little. Only little Kusano didn't seem to understand the implication. Admittedly, Harry was internally surprised Musubi did, but was trying to give the absent-minded girl the benefit of the doubt.

"Minaka has it in his mind that we're all 'gifts from the gods', or some shite" Kagari spat out. "This 'game' is his way of weeding us out, making us fight each other until there is only one left. He has this plan that whoever wins the stupid game will bring in a new 'Age of Gods', with him holding the reigns."

"Why does he think that?"

The three girls all exchanged looks, even Kusano seemed to shrink unto herself. "I think we should take this conversation back to Izumo. Miya should be a part of it."

Harry exchanged looks with all of them, even a questioning on with Minato whose confused expression matched what he was feeling, before nodding his agreement. "Alright. But I'm bringing this one with us" he added, pointing at Akitsu. Before anyone could question it, he knelt down and picked her up bridal style. "She knows me somehow. Something from our past. Probably the same way Miya does. I need answers, and she can give them to me."

"Or she'll try to kill you again" Uzume prompted, shifting back to her normal form.

"Or that" he conceded, adjusting his hold on the woman. "But the only time I've ever seen a woman that angry was when I … well, actually, don't think I've ever actually seen a woman that angry before. Not at me, at least. That was worse than Gabby was when… never mind, that's a long story for a different time." Realizing he was rambling, he turned away from the group, carrying Akitsu towards the roadway before turning around. "Whatever you have to do to take her crest, do it so we can get out of here."

He kept walking, carrying Akitsu all the way to the car. To his surprise, the barricade was gone. Correction, he realized, seeing the bodies cut to pieces and the actual barricade in splinters nearby, it was removed. By someone with a sword, if the slices were any indication. _'Hmm… I don't think it was her, as she'd have come and said hello or something. Of course, knowing now that she's a Sekirei certainly explains a few things about our "relationship." I wonder if she's "winged"? Add that to the list of things to discuss tonight.' _

Making it to the car, he realized he had no way of getting his keys. Thankfully, Uzume showed up only a moment later. After a quick tease about it usually being the guy getting in the girl's pants, the door was unlocked and he was placing Akitsu in one of the back seats. It was only after he set her down that he realized he could have just apparated with her back to the Inn. _'Ugh, must've hit me harder than I thought, not even thinking straight at the moment' _he moaned to himself, shaking his head. The rest of the group came up shortly after, Minato still carrying Ku piggy-back. Doing a count, he realized they were two heavy, not just one.

"Alright, looks like we're doubling up. Uzume, still up for sitting on my lap?" he asked with a wink, and she hip-checked him.

"Always, stud muffin. Do we have to be wearing clothes while I do so?" she said in her sultry voice as she turned and rubbed her chest against his arm, and he felt himself hardening up. _'Point to Uzume_'. Minato's nose exploded in a shower of blood, the rest of his face matching his embarrassment as laughter rang out. Even Kusano was giggling, though not understanding why it happened, just thinking it was all funny.

Kagari's phone rang again, and he excused himself to take it. In the meantime, the rest of them were discussing who best to sit next to Akitsu on the off-chance of her waking up. They agreed that 'Homura' would be best, as apparently Musubi and Minato had not yet figured out their black-masked friend's identity. Their discussion was cut off by a sudden shout from said person.

"How many are chasing her? Where is she? Right, copy that. I'll head over there right now. Yes, I will make it. I'm gonna ask a favor from a friend to help out, he can get there faster than I can." With a snap, he hung up what Harry realized was a flip-phone, and turned towards him. "There's a Sekirei being chased by some of Higa's goon squad. She was thought to have been captured already two days ago, but apparently escaped before being winged. She's again on the run."

Harry felt himself freeze at hearing the man's name. _'So, those were indeed Sekirei. And if I'm to fill in the blanks correctly, he's forcing some to work for him unwillingly.' _ "I feel as if there are details missing from that, but ok, you've got my attention. What do you need?"

"They're on the other side of the city. Higa's territory is…"

"In the East, likely the area surrounding that hospital and where most of his business is done."

"Exactly" Kagari answered, clearly surprised but didn't question his knowledge as time was against them.

"And you want to go and what, capture her yourself?"

"NO!" he shouted at him, before taking a deep breath. "My job is to protect the unwinged. Like when you first met Musubi here, I was watching, and stopped the Twins from following you three after she grabbed you and ran. I need to protect this girl from scum like Higa who forces Sekireis to wing themselves to him. But I don't think I can get there fast enough. Your weird teleporting ability, how far can you go? Can you get us to his territory?"

Harry exchanged a look with Uzume, whose face was one of thunder as if she wanted to go and chase them down herself. He lightly touched her arm, and she turned and nodded at him firmly. He matched it slowly, then handed her the keys. "If you or Minato can drive, take the car and head back to the Inn. I'll go help this girl, then apparate us all back to the Inn. Depending on how long it takes to find her, should be there within the hour."

Uzume looked like she wanted to argue, but he squeezed her arm to stop her. "No. You have a very good reason to hate Higa, we both know this. I hate him as well, but mine is almost entirely professional. Plus, I've nearly a decade of experience doing shit like this."

She still didn't like it, but nodded her acquiescence. "Just be careful, EJ-sama. You saw what Akitsu did to you in one-on-one. You're going against three, don't underestimate them."

He just smirked at her, then leaned in and kissed her forehead. _"Don't worry about it, toots"_ he replied in English with as much of a New York accent he could supply. She just backhanded him in the shoulder, before hugging him quickly and turning back to the car.

"Alright, this is going to feel really weird, like going through a straw. You know what a straw is, right?" he asked with a mischievous smirk. Before Kagari could answer, they disappeared with a *pop*.

* * *

"Get back here!" one girl yelled, hopping from building to building.

"Damn it! How is she so fast!"

"She can't keep going like this!"

In front of the three, another girl in a half-sleeved kimono was running frantically as fast as could, hopping across rooftops when suddenly she was tackled from the side. It was so quick and sudden the girl didn't even have time to scream in surprise. Right where she had landed, a black-masked figure skid to a halt in front of the trio as a soft *pop* was heard off to the side.

"Damn it! Where'd she go?! Who the hell are you?!" one of the girls with green hair called out, landing on the roof they'd last seen their target on. Next to her, a short-cropped ebony-haired woman landed next to her, her assets nearly spilling out of her yellow and purple cleavage.

"Well, well, look what we have here. The Guardian Sekirei. Tell me, have you been winged, yet?" She was clearly nonplussed about losing the small girl they'd been following for two days, as coming across an unwinged single-number was a rare occasion indeed.

The third woman landed on the green-haired woman's other side, her kimono-style qipao lightly waving in the wind. "I believe number 6 here would be an appropriate substitute for losing number 40." She too was completely nonplussed, and was quickly coming up with a strategy to capture the new target.

"I believe you're right, Kaori. Certainly an upgrade from that pipsqueak" the short-haired woman replied, getting into her fighting stance. Her powerful legs were twitching as she was eager for some actual fighting to happen.

Kagari just stood there, decidedly not answering. Admittedly, he was somewhat concerned as to whether or not he actually could take on all three of them. But he was going along with Black's crazy plan for some reason, so needed to buy time. And he knew just how much silence annoyed most people.

"Maybe not, Ichiya" Kaori replied, watching their new target. "After all, he's not moved since he arrived. Maybe he's stupid."

"Maybe he just thinks you're a moron for opening your mouth" Green replied, swinging her staff behind her.

"Shut up, Toyotoma. You know the consequences of returning to Higa empty handed."

"What more can he do to us, huh? You're the only one here that reacted to him, Kaori. I was perfectly happy being on my own."

"Are you really going to do this again, Toma?" Ichiya asked her incredulously. "And here? Now? Suck it up, already. We're winged, willingly or not. Deal with it. Let's just get this over with." Before she could move, a red light hit the third girl of their party suddenly , dropping her on the spot, as the back of her head hit the roof with a disturbing *crunch*. Both girls just stood there in shock, before Toyotoma suddenly dodged out of the way as a red bolt hit her staff that swung into the space she'd been standing.

"Show yourself!" Ichiya declared, spinning around to look for their attacker. Sharing her sister's sixth sense, she ducked as a fireball flew through the space where her head had been, and she turned around to see the black-masked sekirei preparing another attack. With a scream, she charged at her, only to be tripped up by ropes suddenly wrapping around her, and she crashed to the rooftop, and skid to a stop at the Guardian's feet.

Toyotoma had the sense to move to where she could keep an eye on the flame-user, and the direction the attacks were coming from. A sudden flurry of lights came flying at her, and she masterfully spun both herself and her staff to either dodge or deflect all of them.

"Not too shabby" a male's voice called out from far closer than she'd care for.

"Show yourself, coward!" she cried, backing to the edge of the roof.

"Me? Coward? Says the one with two friends to chase down a little girl. And I'm the coward? No, no, no. Most certainly not." The man in question appeared in front of her, seaming to materialize from thin air. She was surprised she could see his striking green eyes, and was taken aback with no small amount of trepidation when she realized they were _glowing_. "Now I've shown myself. What are you going to do now, Miss Toyotoma?" Her response was to charge at him, swinging her staff with ferocity.

The ensuing fight, from Kagari's perspective, looked more like a comical dance, as EJ spent nearly the entire time dodging or taunting the woman. Normally he'd have advised against such a thing, as arrogance is often folly in a fight. But, considering he'd yet to be touched, Kagari kept his mouth shut, and tried not to laugh at some of the antics. He'd spun Ichiya round so she could watch the fight, and he couldn't deny being amused at the woman's shock.

15 minutes into it, Toyotoma, in a rage, tried spinning the staff like a bat at the man who'd been infuriating her. All were surprised when he caught it, then yanked it towards him. With her grip so tight on it, she was pulled forward as well, and he wrapped her up in one arm, her face close enough for him to kiss her, and he did just that. Or, so Kagari thought, as he angrily charged forward.

He stopped about two steps away, as he realized EJ had only kissed the girl's cheek, evident by her mouth frozen in an "O" in shock. He stepped back, releasing the staff as she crumbled to her knees, and just sat there looking defeated.

"Higa's going to kill me" she muttered, pulling her staff into her lap.

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked, crouching down next to her.

"Because I failed. Higa doesn't accept failure, and punishes those who do. He already hates me for trying to escape after he winged me. I nearly succeeded too, til M.B.I.'s Disciplinary Squad stopped me. He might actually kill me this time."

"Not if he can't get to you" Harry replied, and she looked up sharply.

"What're you talking about?" Ichiya called out, surprising both Toyotoma and Kagari. She'd been so quiet – odd, considering her normal, mouthy, arrogance - both had forgotten about her.

"Just what I said" Harry responded, levitating the tied-up woman. She screamed at first, mostly from surprise, partly from the outrage of being manhandled like that until he lowered her on her knees next to the green-haired woman. "Higa can't do anything to either of you if he can't get to you."

"And just where would we go, huh? Higa owns the entire East side of town. And if we go into the South or the West, we'll be attacked by the Ashikabis there."

"Which leaves both Central and North" Harry finished, squatting down to both their levels. "And Higa thinks he's bigger and badder than he really is. He's just an entitled rich kid who thinks because he has money everyone should bow down to him. He's an obstinate and self-righteous _wanker _is what he really is."

"What's a _'wanker'_?" Kagari asked for all three present, repeating the strange English word.

"British term for someone who masturbates. Doesn't really translate to Japanese well. My point is, Higa is a punk trying to play in leagues he's far outclassed in." During this diatribe, the two conscious girls were just staring at him in surprise, though Ichiya's was more amusement than surprise.

"So, what are you planning on doing about him, then? If he's so small and you're such a tough guy?" Toyotoma asked, standing up and leaning on her staff. "And can you untie Ichiya, it's really weird seeing her tied up like that."

"Oh, I don't know, I think she looks pretty hot like that" Harry snarked, winking at said girl, who snarled at him. "Looks like she needs a spanking to go along with it. Maybe some hot wax as well."

"If you think I'm just gonna let you play out your perversions you've got another thing coming pal!" the leggy woman snapped at him, fighting the ropes. Her green-haired companion had seen the mischievous glint in the green eyes and was fighting back a laugh. Though, internally, she wondered how much of what he had said he would actually do if given the chance. She couldn't help but let her mind wander...

While Toyotoma checked out into her fantasies, Harry and Kagari just watched in amusement as Ichiya did her darndest to get out of the ropes. With no success.

"FUCKING HELL what are these made of!? How are they so strong?"

"Magic" Harry answered casually, and Kagari had to turn around to hide his laughter. "Anyways, I've a date with the ladies of Izumo Inn today. We've a long conversation ahead of us so we gotta finish this up. What am I to do with you two and your napping partner over there?" he asked, thumbing the girl still knocked out. "She looks familiar for some reason…"

"If you've been to Higa's hospital, she's one of his personal bodyguards" Toyotoma offered, pulling at the ropes tying up Ichiya. "Well fuck, how the hell _are _they so tight?"

"Magic" he replied again, Kagari turning around once more. "You gonna behave now, sweetheart?" he asked the tanned woman, waving his hand over her.

"I'll show you 'sweetheart', pervert!" Feeling the ropes loosen, she hopped up and swung her right leg around, only to have it caught by her target's left hand. Slowly but sensually, he slid his right down her leg, adding increasing increments of magic to his touch as he neared her core. By the time he'd reached her thigh, she was visibly shaking, fighting the effects of what he was doing. Deciding to play nice this time, he dropped her leg, and she collapsed under the sudden surprise.

"Whaa… What… was… that?" she asked, looked up with lust-filled eyes, breathing heavy as she squeezed her thighs with her hands, fighting off her own body's reaction. Inwardly surprised at how easy that was, and the extent of the reaction to what he meant to be a simple tease, the green-eyed man didn't outwardly react, just stood there and watched for a few moments before answering.

"That… was me showing you just how much at my mercy you are" Harry answered, all trace of humor gone. "I can practically feel the pent-up energy both of you have from lack of stimulation or release. Years of having a _Veela _around does that to you. The fact something so simple nearly had you blowing is all the proof I need."

"Please…" she whined, surprising all three of them, Kagari having rejoined them. The woman that normally looked prepared to face down a bull was on her knees, one hand on her chest, the other slowly rubbing herself over her clothes. "We're not able to get off without an Ashikabi's permission. And Higa refuses to let us do so, says it would interfere with our training."

"You can't even orgasm without your Ashikabi?" Harry was taken back by that. While entertaining and useful in some very specific avenues, say the ones he and Gabby enjoyed playing in, to be physically incapable to orgasm period unless your Ashikabi allows you to seemed a bit much. That would be really, really bad for those who don't enjoy BDSM whatsoever. Worse if you not only dislike such a thing, but are unable to find your Ashikabi. Kara and Hana's advances suddenly took on a whole new meaning. Uzume's too, for that matter.

"Thankfully, as we're unwillingly winged, it isn't limited to just our Ashikabi" Toyotoma added, dropping to one knee next to her sister, rubbing her back. "At least, that's what Karasuba said."

Yet another bell ringing, though this one was akin to that of Notre Dame than a Christmas choir bell. "You know Karasuba?" he asked, not trying to hide his surprise.

"Of course. Every Sekirei knows the Black Sekirei. She's on the Disciplinary Squad." Yet another puzzle piece finding its place.

"The gay boyfriend that works for M.B.I." Harry provided, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. All three were nodding, though Ichiya's with difficulty and heavy breathing, before almost simultaneously processing what he said, and openly gawking at him.

"Wait, YOU know Karasuba?" Kagari prompted. He just nodded. "HOW!?"

"She's tried to kill me a few times" Harry answered nonchalant. He was still piecing together this new information and applying it to every female he knew in Tokyo. And wondering if any of the males were involved.

"What do you mean, TRIED?" Kagari was getting hysterical. "She NEVER fails to kill ANYONE! She practically LIVES just to kill people. That's why she's feared so much!"

"I'm not just anyone, Homura" he replied, using his Guardian name. Sighing again, he couldn't help but laugh at her expressions. "I've known her for nearly two years now. We first met about 3 months after I first came to Tokyo for a patient of mine. She was hired to kill me. Refused to tell me by who, but it was a good fight. Every third or fourth visit after that she made another attempt. In fact, she tried again just three days ago. Though, I don't think her heart was in it that time. She was awfully distracted by some 'game'."

"The Sekirei Plan" Kagari voiced. Harry just nodded as if going along, not wanting to give too much away of his ignorance.

"She didn't even use her sword this time, which I was thankful for, as I've been awfully distracted myself. The fight lasted about two hours before we called it quits."

"Wait, you went toe-to-toe with the leader of the Disciplinary Squad, a woman who has never failed to kill anyone she wanted to kill, except perhaps Number 1, and came away not only in one piece, but joking about it? And this has happened how many times?"

"Hired like 10 times that I know of, a couple times she was doing multiple contracts at once. Has attempted maybe two dozen times, including this last one? I honestly don't know, I stopped keeping track. Especially when some of the fights involved other activities between them, so you wonder if it was one long fight or two separate ones."

"'Other activities' as in what?" Toyotoma asked suspiciously. He just glanced at her, then pointedly looked at her partner who was still getting herself worked up on her knees. Toyotoma cocked her head questioningly, before looking at her friend. The sudden snap of her head back at him wide-eyed had him chuckling again. Kagari was stock-still frozen, unable to process what he'd just learned.

"I admit, I initially thought it was strange she wanted to sleep with me. Thought it was just another ploy at killing me. But, that first time she made the offer, she even left her sword in her apartment and showed up looking fancy. Was a nice date, I must say."

"You realize she's going to kill you for talking about it, right?" Toyotoma chimed, her mind a million miles an hour on how to use the information as blackmail leverage.

"You realize she's going to kill _you_ for ever bringing it up, right?" Harry countered with a grin, and Toyotoma's mind halted faster than a car into the side of a dam. The fact that Karasuba would probably kill her for even _knowing_ about it suddenly had her scared witless, and vowed herself to silence on every deity she could think of.

"Please…" Ichiya repeated, crawling towards Harry. "Just please, I need to release. Whatever you did, please, finish it. I need to release. Just a little bit, please." While Harry enjoyed begging, and hearing the Amazonian-esque woman begging was such a major turn on, it sounded oh so wrong coming from her. She was very much the take charge or fight for dominance type. That she was weakened due to an uncontrollable bodily function took all the fun out of it, and Harry was more than a little angry at her so-called Ashikabi for not taking care of those he's responsible for.

Sighing deeply, Harry nodded, and she was hugging his leg in appreciation before moving to his buckle.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT you're going to do that HERE!?" Kagari screamed, indicating the rooftop.

"Would you prefer it back in your bedroom, Homura?" he retorted, and Toyotoma's eyes lit up in mischievousness.

"Maybe he's just jealous that he's not invited" she offered, and Kagari's face began turning crimson. "We don't even know his name and we're about to get some. You've known him how long and weren't able to score? Tsk tsk." She wagged her finger, punctuating each syllable.

"It's Black, EJ Black" he offered, and both girls froze, wide-eyed.

"You're shitting me" Ichiya voiced, sounding more normal in that statement than she had the previous five minutes. She lowered her hands and stood up looking at him. "Fuck me!" she whined, pulling at her minimal hair as she stomped away.

"Well I might've. I take it you've heard of me?"

"Heard of you? Higa LOATHES you!" Ichiya yelled. Toyotoma was slowly twisting the staff, indecision etched on her face. "He gave us orders to kill you if we ever came across you. Even had us memorize your picture."

"Guess you didn't memorize it very well, then, eh?" Harry teased, and Toyotoma began smacking her forehead with her staff.

"I blame the dark" she muttered. "I also thank the dark that I didn't recognize you. This fucking sucks."

"I'm wondering now if he was the one to hire Karasuba this time" Harry theorized. "After all, Higa is a competitor to M.B.I., I highly doubt she'd be all that eager to help her boyfriend's competitor."

"Natsuo isn't her boyfriend, he's her Ashikabi" Toyotoma countered, staring off into the dark. "She works for M.B.I. as well. The head of M.B.I. is the self-stylized Game Master of the Sekirei Plan."

"Because of course he is" Harry grumbled, throwing his hands in the air. "How much of this stupid game has to do with them buying up all of Tokyo?"

"We don't know, but Higa, or, more accurately, Kocho, has theorized that it was how they were going to explain the sheer amount of damage this game is going to cause, by deeming all of Tokyo private property. That way, we Sekirei can destroy as much as we want without risk of the Japanese government stepping in.

"Ok, see, that's where I'm calling bullshit. There's no way Japan would just sell their capital. Something else is going on, and I don't think I'm going to like it." Sighing and running his fingers through his hair, he turned towards Kagari. "We better get back. That discussion just became even longer." He looked at Kaori still on the ground unconscious. "Before we go, though, we should probably settle this. Obviously, the girl is gone."

The three of them blinked for a moment, the fact that they were all there because two of them had been chasing a Sekirei, and the third was saving her had been forgotten. The all glanced at each other, suddenly unsure of what happens next. Thankfully, the non-Sekirei had the answer.

"Since Higa already hates me, you can easily, and truthfully, blame losing her on me." He turned towards the unconscious girl. "Or… would it be unheard of if maybe your foe had attacked back and injured one of her pursuers? And you two stopped to check on her?"

"Considering Kaori helped capture each of us, yeah, that would be strange. We'd sooner attack her ourselves than help her."

"Ok, but would the little girl's successful retaliation be enough of a surprise to distract you two long enough that you lost sight of her? And by the time you found her, you saw her climbing into a blue and black car and being driven away?"

"I'm guessing you're going to be this unsung hero, then?" Ichiya smirked, holding her hand on her hip. Harry just shrugged.

"He already hates me, might as well be me" he repeated. "Do either of you know cars?"

Ichiya pointed at the green-haired girl as she answered "I do."

"Know what a Bugatti Divo is?" The girl's jaw just dropped.

"You're fucking me."

"Well no, not tonight I'm not" he just answered, Ichiya choked back a laugh.

"You own a Bugatti Divo? How've I not seen it around town?"

"You did, driving away with your prey."

"What!" she screeched, before the previous conversation came back to her. "Ohhh...right... Yeah, no, telling anyone you have a Bugatti Divo is going to cost you actually showing me the Bugatti Divo, and giving me a ride in it."

"I can do that" he answered nonplussed, shrugging a shoulder. "I just bought it a week ago, needed something to get around town in."

Toyotoma looked halfway between murdering him and mounting him. "You just bought a Divo… to drive around town in... ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND! WHY WOULD YOU CONDEMN SUCH A BEAST TO THE FUCKING STREETS! SHE NEEDS TO BE BROKEN IN! SHE NEEDS TO BE RODE INTO THE GROUND! GODS DAMMIT SHE NEEDS TO FUCKING FLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY SIDE SCREAMING HER HEAD OFF!"

Somewhere in that screeching she'd dropped her staff and was shaking Harry by his collar. He couldn't help but be amused. "If you want a ride all you have to do is ask."

"YOU'RE GODS-BE-DAMNED RIGHT I WANT A FUCKING RIDE!"

"Okie dokie" he answered calmly, before pulling out his wallet, ignoring the woman trying to yank his shirt off and give him whiplash in the same movement. He pulled out the hotel key and held it out to Ichiya, who was the more calm of the two, though completely bemused by her friend's reaction to a car.

"This is the passkey to my hotel room; the name is on the front obviously. The penthouse suite. I doubt I'm making it back tonight, so you two can crash there. Tomorrow 'Toma here gets her ride and you two have your story."

"You're just going to trust us with a penthouse key? Just like that?" Ichiya asked incredulously. Harry just shrugged.

"Money truly is no big deal to me. I've enough of it I could have a dozen great-grandkids and they'd never have to work a day in their lives. If you two destroy the room, I'll lose the money but will gain the knowledge you two can't be trusted, and next time I won't be so nice to either of you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I don't have a safehouse ready, yet. I just bought a place sometime this past week, but it hasn't been brought up to speed. Honestly, hearing how many Sekireis are being winged unwillingly puts a very bad taste in my mouth. More so, that M.B.I. is going to have near-total control of Tokyo for this game is already pissing me off. Over the past week I've discovered just how many people I'm acquainted with are involved, including my ex-professional relationship with your Ashikabi. Who is Kocho, by the way? Is she that woman with the glasses that was hanging out with him and Kakizaki?"

The two girls blinked at the segue, their minds searching for who he was talking about. "Yeah, that's probably her. She's Kakizaki's Sekirei, and he works for Higa, so she does as well. She's the brains of his little troupe."

"Thought so. Anyways, I bought some land and a place here in Tokyo. I'm going to be here awhile and wanted to have my own place, but it's not ready yet. In the meantime, you two can stay at my hotel suite tonight. Tomorrow, we can figure out what to do next, whether you bother returning to Higa at all or not."

Both girls' eyebrows raised at that, and they shared a look. "But tonight, crash there. Maybe I'll be back tonight, maybe not. Depends on how this conversation goes. If so, I've got another key to get in. Feel free to make yourselves at home, just don't try to access the trunk next to the TV. Trust me, you won't be able to get into it, so you'd be wasting your time." Pulling out his phone, he checked the time and realized he'd long passed the hour he told Uzume.

"Alright, you two get going. Homura and I will deal with your friend here. That girl you were chasing, what is her power or ability?"

"Blades. Has the two large V-shaped blades that she keeps up her sleeves, those are her primary. But also, a rack of throwing knives on each hip, and rope darts up her sleeves as well. That's how she escaped in the first place, hit a tree out a window and swung away."

"I think I'm going to like this girl" Harry muttered, shaking his head. "Alright, thanks. Get going, I'll see you two tomorrow." He tilted his head in the direction of the hotel, and with one last shared look, they nodded at him and took off, disappearing into the night.

"What are you thinking, Black-sama?" Kagari asked, stepping up next to him. The entire night's events went from simple extraction to incomprehensible mayhem. He'd worked as a host for a long time, and never seen someone dismantle a woman, let alone two, as easily as EJ had. _'Then again, he's an Ashikabi and they're Sekirei. Winged or not, they're naturally susceptible to Ashikabis. If she was right, being winged unwillingly dampens the bond a bit, enabling Sekirei to look outside their Ashikabis, giving EJ an edge. Plus, this _magic_ he uses certainly gives him another edge, and he's not bad looking, plus apparently rich, and has confidence to boot. Yeah, those two never really stood a chance. But Karasuba? Still having a hard time believing that one.'_

"I originally thought to put some marks on her to show that girl fought back. But, honestly, now that I'm about to, it suddenly seems wrong. But, she's another Ashikabi's Sekirei, a man I despise. And apparently has been helping capture and forcefully wing other Sekirei for her Ashikabi, so I should. But, she's unconscious. It's too easy. Need to create the scene for the story. She's defenseless. You see the frustration."

"You want to create a few knife wounds so when M.B.I. reports how she was terminated, it would appear she fought back. But you don't want to do it to a girl unable to fight back herself." When he nodded, the Guardian went on.

"To be completely honest, I'm not even sure if M.B.I. reports how a Sekirei was terminated, just that they were. As those two seem to believe she's going to have knife wounds in the morning, it's their word against the possible lack of word from M.B.I."

"True. But, if I know anything about Higa, or at least people like him, he's got someone in M.B.I. on his payroll. More likely, a handful of someones ignorant of each other. So, while M.B.I. themselves might not report it, someone inside will. That's the problem."

"I'm guessing the fact you use magic is supposed to be a secret?"

He nodded. "We're not supposed to use it in front of non-magicals, or NOMAs as they're called here in Japan. It's a breach of the Statute of Secrecy. Higa isn't a Wizard, so having them tell him I took her out using magic isn't feasible. He might be a squib, which is a person born with magic but unable to use it, but I wouldn't be able to tell without scanning him."

"Why is that?" Kagari was trying to follow along, but came up with more questions than he was getting answers to.

"Because even NOMAs have magic to some degree. They just can't utilize it whatsoever. Squibs have a somewhat larger volume of it, but no core to focus it. There's an ability called Mage Sight that I used to have, but I lost it when I underwent a ritual that enhanced my durability."

"Why'd you do that?" Not that he knew what Mage Sight was, but from the fiction books he'd read, magical rituals usually weren't anything to mess around with. He wondered how accurate those novels actually were in that regard.

"Long story requiring lots of alcohol. Another night that isn't tonight" he waived off before turning back to the girl. He cocked his head, a new idea coming to mind. "Hmmm… Homura, as the Guardian, have you ever taken a crest while defending an unwinged Sekirei?"

"Yeah, twice, the second time was Number 43 an hour ago." He turned a questioning look at him. "The one with the scythe that fought Musubi. Why?"

"I think I've a better idea than blades. You. You're well-known to defend the un-winged. A little burnt clothing, and you simply caught her mid-jump with a fireball. She landed badly, getting knocked out. Seeing as her head cracked a bit from my stun spell, it already fits. Her crash-landing and your surprise attack startle her friends long enough for that girl to get away into my car. Leaving their comrade, they chased after me. You came in and took the crest of this one before following us."

"Certainly a lot simpler than the blades idea. And much more believable, from what they told us" Kagari nodded, lighting a hand on fire. "This will only put a bigger target on your back, you know. And mine."

"It's Higa, I really don't care what target he thinks he put on my back. I've been dealing with ponces like him in one form or another my entire life. As for you, you're already a target being unwinged AND interfering with Sekirei captures, and that was before tonight, let alone meeting me. That girl was nearly dead when I took her back to Izumo. I was afraid I'd killed her when I tackled her so abruptly. Practically ribs and bones, and I'm pretty sure she actually passed out from exhaustion _during _the _**apparation**_, which is beyond insane. No. I'm taking her under my personal protection. And, I have a feeling I'm more involved in this 'game' than I've been aware of."

Kagari frowned at him, and he just shook his head. "Later, when we get back. Like I said, very long discussion tonight. Think I'll stop and grab some alcohol, I'm going to need it. Fry her, take her crest, and I'll pop us back."

"There's a convenience store with a liquor license about 3 blocks northeast of the Inn. Miya actually forbids Sekirei from arriving at high-speeds, so expect a chew-out for simply appearing in her yard. Granted, you rescued someone so she'll likely let you off this time, but still, better not to antagonize her."

While saying this, he'd burnt enough of the girl's clothes to look like she took damage, but not enough to be inappropriate. After a quick discussion of nearest parks, Harry popped over to one, which Homura simply jumped to, due to how close it was. After taking her crest, they waited 'til M.B.I. choppers were on their way. Then they clasped arms and disappeared into the night with a small *crack*.

* * *

Half an hour later the duo, with Homura having changed out of his Guardian outfit somehow, walked back into Izumo Inn. "Honey, I'm home!" Harry called out. A shriek followed by thundering feet and a leaping blonde later, he was holding Gabby to himself whispering reassurances to her about being okay.

"Well, that certainly took a lot long than you said to Uzume" came a sweet voice from the doorway. Miya was there, hands clasped and relaxed. Or, at least that was the persona she displayed, Harry realized. After the events of the day, he was beginning to analyze everything about everyone he'd encountered in ways he'd not needed to do so in years. And at the moment, Miya was more akin to a momma tiger eyeing a potential threat to her cubs, poised and ready to pounce with sweet vengeance. Harry truly wondered for the first time since he was 15 if he'd survive the encounter.

"Made a couple new friends, sent them to our hotel room for the night to hide out. Learned a few new things, too. Not entirely sure what to make of it all."

"Oh? And what things would that be?"

"Long is the list, Miss Asama. And great is the volume of liquor I have with me. I fear we, meaning I, might likely need it before this night is out."

"I must admit I wonder if that is so. I do hope you intend to share, as I would greatly appreciate a drink myself. After all, you are my guest here." That demon visage came out, and Harry couldn't help but internally marvel at it. _'I really need to learn that trick.'_

"Of course, Miya. That is a nice little trick you have there, but it was unnecessary. I do hope you share its secret with me in the near future" he added, and she smiled the demon's smile that had everyone but him slightly trembling.

He laughed. "Right, then. I've no idea where to start this conversation, so how about we move to the table, and you two fill me in and what you discussed?"

"That is acceptable. I daresay I have quite a few questions of my own. And also" she added, her voice turning hard, "there is the question of what you specifically are doing here. However," she relapsed into her landlady persona, "Gabby-san has told me about your theory, so for now we will have a truce."

'_Whatever it was that happened must have been horrific.' _"Agreed." With that, and after doubly reassuring his bond-mate, they moved to the dining area. Everyone sans Kusono, Akitsu and the unknown girl were present, which raised his question. "How are Akitsu and the two little ones?"

"All are asleep at the moment. Akitsu under whatever spell you put her under, Ku ate too much dinner, coupled with being in that forest for several days, and Number 40 has not woken yet. I admit I am very worried about her; she does not appear to have eaten in some time."

Harry nodded sadly. "That was my conclusion as well. I had hoped she'd wake long enough to eat, but she is also exhausted. A delicate issue." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I can magic some food into her stomach. It's not recommended but she'll get the nutrients she needs. Tomorrow, when she wakes I'll have a potion that'll keep her awake long enough to eat, then knock her back out for another 24 hours."

"Magic seems a wonderous thing, Doctor Black" Miya verbalized, a thoughtful look on her face.

"It can be, yes. That's why I became a doctor; to use it to help people."

"Is that the only reason? It has nothing to do with your military experience?" Miya asked, surprising everyone. Harry turned a questioning look at Gabby, who was shaking her head quickly. He thought it over, about to sign it off as a blind guess or remarkable deduction, when he almost absently looked at Musubi. And there it was, the violet, intelligent eyes that'd been plaguing him, not the innocent and free chocolate brown ones.

"Ah. So you decided to show yourself for this meeting, did you?" She just nodded slowly, and everyone besides Miya looked confused, though she was capable at hiding her emotions, so she may just be doing that. Minato was doubly so than anyone else.

"What do you mean? Is Musubi not supposed to be here?"

He glanced at Minato, thinking quickly. He glanced at Miya, whose confusion was starting to show, but seemed to grasp what he wanted to know, and nodded at him. Harry just shook his head. _'Because why not. It's not as if this night can get any stranger.'_

"That's not Musubi, Sahashi" he began. Before said boy could respond, he held up a hand. "It's Musubi's body, yes, but the person you see is not her. Please, tell the class who you are." Though being polite, he left no room for argument in his voice, and he saw a quick dilation of her eyes before she responded.

"It certainly took you long enough to ask, Ha- EJ-sama." Harry took a quick glance at everyone to see if they caught the near slip-up. To no one's surprise - well, no one if they'd realized it - Miya was the only one who did, shown by the quick glance his way. "I am the Sekirei of Fate: Number 8, Yume."

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so the big reveal isn't all that big for those familiar with the Sekirei canon. For those of y'all who think this story is eratic: it's supposed to feel that way. **

**Most of this story is from HP's perspective, and what he knows is broken information that he's piecing together as he bullshits his way forward. **

**The amnesia feels like a cop-out: I assure you it is not. It serves a purpose, a purpose that'll be revealed in due time. **

**Until next chapter, Ciao!**


	5. Eurythmics

**To value learning as a gift, you have to accept pain as a teacher. - Jury Nel**

**Last time, on Jade Ashikabi:**

"_Harry, I'd like to introduce to you Number 7, Akitsu. Akitsu, this is a friend of mine, Harry."_

_Harry couldn't help but gawk at the well-endowed woman. How the provided clothes were holding up against her assets could only be attested to magic. Powerful magic at that, as he could practically hear the fabric screaming for help. A quick elbow nudge by the smirking silver-haired man reminded him he was supposed to say something. "Um uh... Hello, uh... Akitsu" he uttered loquaciously, feeling his tongue swell up._

_To her credit, she didn't get angry at his open gawking, or laugh at his discomfort. She did, however, blush. "Ah… hello, Harry" she said softly, trying to hide her face. The two just stood there very awkwardly, Takehito failing to hide his amused smirk_

.

_"I'm guessing the fact you use magic is supposed to be a secret?"_

.

_"That's not Musubi, Sahashi" he began. Before said boy could respond, he held up a hand. "It's Musubi's body, yes, but the person you see is not her. Please, tell the class who you are." Though being polite, he left no room for argument in his voice, and he saw a quick dilation of her eyes before she responded._

_"It certainly took you long enough to ask, Ha- EJ-sama." Harry took a quick glance at everyone to see if they caught the near slip-up. To no one's surprise - well, no one if they'd realized it - Miya was the only one who did, shown by the quick glance his way. "I am the Sekirei of Fate: Number 8, Yume."_

.

* * *

In the intervening silence, Harry realized that, despite being fluent in Japanese language, he wasn't all that fluent in its idioms. That being said, as a native Englishman, he was quite fluent in English ones, obviously. And the idiom "silence is deafening" was running laps around his head.

Normally, he'd be laughing his ass off at the dumbfounded looks everyone had. Minato, from his position to Musu-Yume's right, was flabbergasted. In their brief interactions, Harry'd learned he was actually quite intelligent. But everyone has those moments where something is simply outside their mental scope of comprehension. Kagari and Uzume had similar expressions of disbelief, both sitting across from the girl, caught between looking as if they'd seen a ghost, and wanting to burn her for heresy. Even Miya was shocked, and not acting shocked as she is wont to do, no. She had opened and closed her mouth several times trying to find words, and was looking between the now-named Yume and Harry, trying to piece together a puzzle that she was missing parts to.

Gabby was the only one not truly bewildered, though she was confused. Harry realized he'd left her more in the dark than he realized, and swore to correct that oversight. But, that would have to wait until he overcame his own numbness, as the woman's admission of her name had his mind on overdrive, as several flashes of what he believed were memories of the woman associated with the name was fighting to come to light, but kept running into a barrier of sorts.

"Bu-bu-but… you died" Kagari managed, the first to find his voice. Gabby's eyebrows raised, and was looking at the brunette in a new level of confusion.

Said woman was shaking her head. "No, Kagari, I did not die. The girl's body I am inhabiting, Musubi, she did die, though. Which is why I used mine to save her."

"No, you died!" Miya screeched, slamming her hands on the table, cracking it. The action startled everyone. Her face was both enraged and tormented, as if she were seeing ghosts and reliving horrific memories. "That explosion killed just about everyone! How Akitsu survived I have no idea! No one does! We found your body unmoving and without a pulse next to Musubi!" She turned that enraged look towards him. "My husband, who YOU swore to protect, was killed in that explosion!" Tears began freely falling, as Harry was hit with another powerful memory.

_~~Flashback~~_

"_Akitsu, get that girl out of her!" Harry was battling fire after fire, the overload slowly building up to catastrophic proportions._

"_Ah...but Harry-sama, I must protect you!" the woman cried out, carrying a little girl with long, black hair in her arms._

"_Protect her, Akitsu, that's an order! I have to get Takehito out of there!"_

"_Harry! Please! Don't leave me!" she cried out, setting the girl down before pulling Harry into a bone-crushing hug. To her credit, she left his wand arm free so he could keep fighting the fires. _

"_I promise I'll come back to you, Akitsu" he told her, leaning into her hug. When she leaned back to look at him, he leaned out and kissed her, showing her baby-blue ice wings. "I promise. I am not going to leave you or Yume, ever. You're my girls."_

_She nodded and smiled wanly, kissing him again before turning and picking up the little raven-head. With another look at him, meeting his eyes, she sprung out of the facility. He turned back and took off in the direction of Takehito's lab, throwing up a Bubble-head charm as he did._

_~~End Flashback~~_

"EJ! EJ! Come back to me mon loup, come back." Gabby's voice echoed in his ears as he came to. He quickly realized he had his head in her lap, evidenced as he opened his eyes and saw her looking down at him, her hair dangling and tickling his face.

"I need you to do something for me, Gabs" he said without preamble, as he tried sitting up. He made it about halfway before a bout of vertigo hit and he laid back down. "Make that three somethings, actually. First, I want you to kiss me." Eyes full of worry, she smiled slightly with a shake of her head, then leaned forward and gave him a sweet and tender kiss. "Ahh, I feel better already." She slapped his chest, but was smiling broadly, the worry in her eyes slowly fading. "Second, I like this position, I think I'm gonna stay here awhile." She slapped his chest again with another laugh, but no less wrapped her arms around him possessively.

"And the third?" she asked, caressing him.

"It can wait a bit longer," he stated, shimmying himself as he got more comfortable. "But I'll need you to go back to our hotel and get my communicator." Her actions froze at that, her eyes widening as she looked down at him. He just nodded his head with a defeated look. "It's time I confront them about what they did to me."

"What did you remember, mon amour?"

Sighing deeply, he pulled himself upright and rubbed his head. He took stock of the room, and saw that Musu-Yume had moved to his other side, and was looking no less worried. Minato's face had worry as well, and a slight tinge of jealousy or longing as he looked at Musu-Yume. _'Cause that's going to be a fun conversation' _Harry mused, running his fingers through his head. Kagari and Uzume both looked concerned. Uzume looked as if she'd wanted to move over as well, but Gabby and Musu-Yume had blocked her, so had just slid in his direction.

Miya, however, had a rainbow of emotions on her face: from fresh anger directed at him, curiosity, no doubt about what he'd just remembered, some slight worry, as she was still the kind-hearted woman her persona depicted, and… he immediately discarded the last, as frankly it was both impossible and ironic. And he wasn't sure how he felt about it himself.

"Akitsu survived because I ordered her to" Harry began, rubbing his temples. "She was carrying a young girl with long, black hair. I don't yet remember who that girl was, if I ever did, but I believe she was the second girl in the room when I first encountered…" he trailed off, his fingers stilling as he looked up at the brunette. After a moment he cocked his head to one side. "Yume, tell me; who was the brunette girl that nearly died on the operating table when we first met?"

Musu-Yume just closed a fist and held it to her heart as she closed her eyes. "Musubi" was her soft answer. All eyebrows raised in surprise. It was a moment before she opened them again. "Karasuba-san and I were tasked with rescuing her and another, young Sekirei from those who had kidnapped the two of them. When she flatlined, I had intended on sacrificing my soul core to heal her." The Sekirei gathered inhaled deeply at that, bar Miya. "But you used those potions and that damned-by-the-gods spell to revive her. I was so happy I went to thank you." She chuckled lightly and turned a coy smile on him. "Things sort of got out of hand there. I didn't expect to react to you so heavily. Or so powerfully. Once you touched me…" her body visibly shivered in a way both Uzume and Gabby were intimately familiar with. "I couldn't NOT wing myself to you."

He scratched the back of his head. "We didn't actually have sex right there in that room, did we? Covered in blood and guts with bodies everywhere?"

The reactions around the room were quite amusing to the Veela. She'd heard the details about this dream-turned-memory numerous times, so was aware of all the minutia. Kagari and Minato had the most adverse reactions, as she expected: Kagari was definitely the lover-not-a-fighter type. Sure, he'd hold his own when the situation called for it, but never sought out a fight. And Minato was, well, a wimp, in her opinion.

On the flip side, the two women who were not directly involved in the conversation, both reacted similarly: albeit, the elder of the two did her best to hide such a reaction. But Gabby was a Veela, and very, VERY experienced at noticing persons interested in her Harry.

Uzume wasn't even attempting to hide the squirming. While the idea of such activities occurring while covered in blood would likely be a slight aversion, even Gabby couldn't deny the adrenaline after such a battle, coupled with an intense reaction such as her own Veela bond, which she'd come to learn resembled the Sekirei bond, would lead to a very interesting moment.

Miya, though, didn't appear to have_ any_ qualms about the blood. Gabby couldn't be sure, but she thought the woman's eyes dilated and momentarily flashed red. It happened so quickly, though, she couldn't be certain. The idea of the composed woman partaking in such a venereal act in an equally macabre setting was a juxtaposition of the ages. _'To be fair, I've known the woman for less than six hours. It is possible I don't actually know anything about her. She just puts on such a persona that the idea is beyond mind boggling.'_

She was brought out of her observations and back to the conversation by the brunette's giggling and shaking head. "No, we didn't quite make it all the way just then. Karasuba showed up right after you winged me and knocked you out."

That had Harry leaning back on his hands, looking up at the woman still kneeling. "Really? She did? Funny, she's never mentioned having met me so young."

The three female Sekirei all had varying reactions to that comment, though Gabby and Minato were the only to notice - and suffer - Miya's very prominent demon's mask, that she quickly dispelled after meeting the blonde's gaze. The raven-haired boy just shivered in silence, avoiding his landlady's scariness.

"You know Karasuba-san?" Uzume squeaked out. Harry shrugged.

"We've met a few times, yeah." When she went to press, Harry waved her off. "She was hired to kill me a few times, she failed a few times." Uzume let out a half-squeak half-squawk that had him chuckling lightly. "Another time, alright?" Getting an open-mouthed nod in return, he looked back at Musu-Yume, who hadn't, strangely, been all that surprised, with a questioning look.

"As for why she hasn't mentioned it, she may not have recognized you." As his mouth opened to press, Yume answered anyways. "You likely never realized just how much blood you had on you, EJ-sama. Most of your face was covered in it. And I don't think the two of you interacted again after that, until whenever you first officially met that you _do_ recall. She put a bag over your head as we were transported to Takehito-sama's lab, in case you woke up en route."

Harry was back to rubbing his temples. "Ok, so that explains why my dream - correction, memory - always stops at the same point." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked up at her again, then around the room at the confused looks. He recounted the dream that had been on repeat for several weeks before, and including, his first night in Tokyo. He took care not to be _too_ descriptive, leaving it up to the various listeners to fill in the blanks as they imagined. Right up until the winging of Yume. "You were hugging me so tightly, I swear you broke, or at least bruised, even more of my ribs." She tittered as she nodded.

"I did. You had five broken, four bruised when we got you back."

"There ya go" he chuckled. "After that, well…"

Yume gave a sly smirk before giggling. "After that, _you_ started sending your blood south, and-"

"I was fifteen!" he exclaimed in his defense, drawing a few chuckles. "A beautiful woman, who'd just kicked my ass, was pressing herself against me in a situation it wouldn't be called for. AND I was going through puberty. AND-"

"And that will be enough of the reprehensible details from the both of you." Miya's words got both of their attentions, only to be diverted to the other raven-haired man with an intense nose-bleed. Both looked at each other and laughed, before composing themselves as Harry conjured a cloth for Minato to stifle the stream with.

With a mumbled "dank you, Back-dama" the boy proceeded to dye the cloth red.

It was then that the Lady of the Hold took control of the conversation. "Now that we have learned how you became an Ashikabi, perhaps you can enlighten us on the details of why you were there in the first place?"

Harry let out a deep breath. "Unfortunately, I cannot." Before an objection, he raised his hand. "It is not unwillingness, Miya, but truthfully unable to. I already stated I remembered downloading the data those scientists had. Whether or not I ever got that data to my superiors at the time, I don't yet remember. Nor do I remember the exact mission parameters. I only know rescuing a Sekirei and becoming an Ashikabi were not a part of that. At least, I do not believe so." Back to rubbing his temples, he let out another breath. "Excepting that dream, all the memories I've recovered have been the result of outside stimulation I've experienced upon arriving here.

"Meeting you" he indicated the landlady, who raised an eyebrow, "meeting Akitsu" he thumbed in the Ice Sekirei's direction through the walls, "and your demand on why she survive" he concluded. "These have been the biggest factors thus far. I've had small fragments come in as I wandered around the city. Little memory bits that resemble _déjà vu_, as if I've been there before. Which…" he drew out with a bobble of his head, "as we've already clarified, I have. It's been disorienting at times. Especially discovering a pizza place I apparently liked wasn't there anymore. Little things like that."

The violet-haired woman was pensive for a moment before speaking. "How come your re-introduction to Yume-san did not provoke such a response?" He shrugged.

"I can only guess it's because I was already dreaming of her. Her face was firmly in my mind, as it'd been virtually haunting me for weeks." She nodded slowly before prompting another question.

"The memory, as you call it, that awoke from me; what was it?"

Several deep breaths were released before the Black Lord answered. "Takehito." Her eyes furrowed. "I was arguing with Takehito as his lab was on fire and circuitry exploding. I was attempting to convince him to leave, to survive, but he was refusing to. Something about his research he wasn't willing to abandon and wanting to save. I attempted using you as leverage to force him to leave, but he resisted. It ends after that."

What was crossing through her mind at that moment they could only guess, as she tucked her head and closed her eyes. It was several moments before she addressed them again. "My husband was a good man. He was dedicated to his work. It pains me to know he chose his work over returning to me." She took a deep breath herself. "But, that was the type of man he was: dedicated. If he did so, it was for a good reason."

"I believe it was, Miya." Her eyes, tinged with red out of sadness and rage, snapped up to meet green ones, looking back with softness. "_'_This data is what will save them'" he repeated. Miya's eyes widened slightly. "Those were some of the last words I remember from that argument. Whatever he was working on, he believed it would save the Sekirei as a whole. Including you." He shook his head sadly. "I don't yet remember what happens next, if there was anything else to remember. The whole lab was on fire, all because of some crystal." Shaking his head, he missed the quick look that Yume and Miya exchanged.

"I hate that fucking thing" he muttered, which had the two women exchanging another look, one much more meaningful, as it included surprise.

"Excuse me" an unsure voice spoke up, drawing all attention to the younger raven-head. The sudden, undivided attention had him flinching, but he gathered himself quickly. "While I don't understand much of what you're saying, I'm really confused about something, Black-sama." At his own raised eyebrow, and a wave of the hand to continue, he did so. "Pardon me, but you said you were fifteen when all of this happened, right?" He nodded slowly. "Why would a fifteen-year-old be involved in military missions? Is it because of your magic?"

Harry folded his hands on the table, locking them together as his thumbs twiddled with each other. The rest of the table had turned towards him with piqued curiosity as well. It was several minutes, during which Miya and Uzume had grabbed several glasses of ice and poured each of them a drink from one of the bottles the two men had brought home. The last Potter downed his in one gulp, then the second after Gabby refilled it. With an audible sigh, he turned to the young man. "That, I'm afraid, is a secret. I don't know you nearly well enough." Setting the glass down, he put his fingers to his head and ran them through his hair, before palming his forehead. "There are some things in this world, kid, that even though you want to know, you really _don't_ want to know. Even Gabs here doesn't know the truth of it. My magic was a part of it, yes. But there's more, much more, that I'm in absolutely no way inclined to tell you." He drained a third glass. "And pray you never find out" he whispered as he twirled his empty glass, though everyone still heard it.

The mood was somber at that, each of them taking drinks of their own. Even Minato took a small sip, though coughed at the burning, which lightened the mood slightly. It was several moments before anyone spoke.

"Part of the reason I wanted to have this discussion was because I wanted to get caught up on what this bloody Sekirei plan was, and everything regarding Sekireis, Ashikabis, and their relationship. I think I have a slightly better understanding now." Harry closed his eyes shut tightly, replaying the memory from the beginning of the conversation as it ran through his head, and let the fresh memories settle into coherent thoughts. "Tell me, Uzume, when you kiss Chiho, do some sort of wings come out of your back?"

Between the segue, and being caught off guard by suddenly being addressed, the Veiled Sekirei was thoroughly dumbfounded before she nonetheless answered. "Yes, EJ-sama. Chiho says they're white, matching my veils. It's the symbol of our bond, our winging to our Ashikabis."

Harry nodded, breathing deeply. "Would it be too much of a gamble to wager that each Sekirei's wings are different? Likely an aspect of their respective element or power? Say...those Lightning Twins, with their purple-ish lightning, would their wings be similar color?"

"That's about right" Kagari provided, nodding his head. Several eyes turned towards him questioningly, and he just shrugged and took a gulp of his drink before continuing. "I'm friends with one of the scientists at M.B.I.; she's the one that told me that everyone's wings would be different, both in design and color."

Harry just nodded his head, slotting away that little tidbit for later. "Where are you going with this, EJ?" Gabby asked from where she'd moved behind him, laying her chin on his shoulder. He half-smiled at her, then turned towards the doorway. All eyes followed, and more than a few gasps of surprise were heard as they saw the dirty-blonde standing there, her hands clasped before her as she stared down Harry.

"Because if I'm not mistaken…" he began, coming to his feet and turning towards the woman." ... Akitsu is my Sekirei, and her wings are light blue."

Once again, the idiom "the silence is deafening" ran through his head, as he met the ice woman's eyes. "You promised me" she voiced, hardly more than a whisper. But, it was so quiet in the room, she might as well have used a megaphone for how it echoed. "You promised you'd return to me. You promised you wouldn't abandon me." That this was all said with a straight face and deadened tone just made it worse.

"Yes, I did" Harry admitted, looking down in shame. "I had every intention of returning to you, but I couldn't."

"Why?" That one word was a bomb in his ears. He knew he had a good reason, or at least one he'd convinced himself of. But the fact was he stopped questioning the missing memory. He let himself get distracted and forgot about it. How do you explain that to someone you made a promise to?

"They told me you died, but I didn't believe them. I could still feel my bond to you." That monotone was grating on Harry's ears, and he was inwardly begging for her to just yell at him already, to end the suffering. But he couldn't deny he felt responsible for the woman's plight, and so stood his ground. "But you never came for me. You never looked for me.

"I searched everywhere for you for a year. I travelled the world looking for you. Chasing rumors of where the Jade Shadow had been, talking with people he'd rescued. But no one knew where you came from." Harry flinched. He remembered hearing some of his commanders talking about a person that had been looking for him, but they'd been concerned it was someone out for revenge. He'd agreed back then, considering the number of enemies he'd made, so never pursued it. He hadn't even realized that the unknown person had stopped after some time.

"After that year, I couldn't take the pain any longer." She held a hand to her heart, or as close as she could get to her heart due to her ample bust. "I volunteered to be experimented on. They said they could take it from me, so I let them. And they did. With Yume-san dead and you gone, I had nothing left except the pain." She pulled out a pin from her hair, and with a twist, pulled it apart. That revealed a blade, slim as a letter opener, but sharp enough to cut through bone. He sensed Gabby and Musu-Yume stiffen at that, and them taking a step forward. He held out a hand to stop them, not turning his eyes from the woman.

After looking at both women, and meeting Harry's eyes, she pulled the blade across her wrist without hesitation. There was no flinching of any sort: no twitching of muscle, no wince, not even a dilation of the eyes. Nothing. "And now, I don't even have that." She pulled out a kerchief from her bosom and wiped away the blood. With another wave of her hand, a small icicle was covering the wound. She put the pin back together and returned it to her hair. "I feel no emotion. I feel no bond. I feel nothing" she monotoned, clasping her hands together. "I am broken, but I feel nothing. The anguish of losing you was taken from me."

"You sacrificed the bond to your Ashikabi to become an emotionless shell?" Kagari asked in disbelief. Over the years he'd encountered the woman numerous times, and her lack of emotion towards anything had perplexed him more than once. He'd tried to befriend her, as they'd both been experimented on, but the woman had been unresponsive. Now he knew why.

"I would rather feel nothing at all than be in constant anguish over someone who did not reciprocate my feelings toward them," she replied, her eyes not leaving Harry's.

"But, your empathic abilities…" Musu-Yume spoke up for the first time since Akitsu's arrival.

"Were damaged after Harry disappeared, and you died" she voiced. If she was surprised to see Yume very much alive, it certainly didn't register in a way anyone could discern. _'She really did get rid of her emotions. Then where did all that rage come from? Never mind, stupid question. Me. It was me. She recognized me, her missing Ashikabi. The one who abandoned her. Her anger must have been so great it broke through whatever blocks she has.'_

"Where do we go from here?" Harry queried.

"Now, I return to my Ashikabi and wait for further instructions," she answered, turning towards the door.

Harry just blinked, not entirely sure he heard that correctly. He wasn't the only one.

"Your Ashikabi? I thought EJ was your Ashikabi?" Uzume prompted, before blinking a few times. "Wait, you were calling him Harry. Why were you calling him Harry?"

"Because that is his name" Akitsu answered, turning towards the shorter brunette. "His name is Harry Potter."

"I may not have recovered most of my memories from that time, but I've recovered enough to know I told you never to repeat that name to anyone" Harry countered, surprised at the heat in his voice.

"You did" she admitted, turning towards him with hardened eyes and equal heat. "And when you were my Ashikabi, I was obligated to obey that order. And I would have until the day I die, because I cared for you. But you are no longer my Ashikabi" she riposted venomously, surprising all with that display of emotion. "And thus, I am no longer bound by your orders." With that she turned and left.

* * *

'_I can fight basilisks, werewolves, dragons, gorgons, hydras, true chimaeras. I can take on faux-demon spawn, dismantle governments, destroy a person's soul. Hell, I could probably burn a city to the ground with little difficulty. But women… for all my skill in pleasuring them in bed and teasing them relentlessly, an emotional woman I will never know how to confront.'_

"Why didn't you ever come back for us?" The emotionless, deadened question from Musu-Yume was like a gunshot through his heart. If it had came from Gabby he probably would've collapsed right then and there. That he didn't anyways was a mystery to him. "Had you not left, you would've been able to feel that I was still alive, and I'd not have spent the last decade in this girl's body. Why?"

He closed his eyes, fighting back the tears. His occlumency barriers hadn't just been shredded but were absolutely obliterated by the sheer volume of emotions he'd experienced tonight, no small part due to the memory that nearly knocked him out again. A part of him wanted to take a few minutes to regain his mentality, but… perhaps, for this discussion, it was for the best he didn't. Taking a deep breath, he slowly turned and looked at the brunette, with Gabby still standing next to him. He was ever so grateful she understood how dangerous Memory Charms were, and how monumentally disastrous they can be.

Meeting her eyes, she asked the only obvious question that truly mattered at that moment, as it was very clear he wasn't "alright." He nodded to her, and she turned and with a *pop*, disapparated.

"Where did she go?" Uzume asked for the room at large.

"To the hotel room to retrieve something. It's time to get some answers. Not just for me" he added, looking at Musu-Yume, who was still expecting an answer to her questions. While her eyes hardened, she was not so emotionally compromised to not piece together his intentions, and for now would keep her peace. For now. Turning his gaze, a similar look was on Miya's, though much more composed. He knew if she wasn't keeping her outward cool, the room would be pissing their pants right now in fear. He wanted to laugh, but couldn't even find that small amount of amusement in him.

With another *crack*, Gabby reappeared, holding a number of items. To their credit, only Minato was startled by the noise, but only enough to tousle his hair a bit. He took the wristband and slid it on. Before activating it, he glanced at the little ducky, then at Miya with a question in his eyes. She nodded. Pulling out his wand, he cast a number of privacy spells, including one that was isolated around the camera in the corner, and the transmitter on the ducky. Holstering his wand, he pressed several of the runes and it powered on. A small display hovered over his wristband for all to see.

"_Identification_?" The Interactive Narrative Administration, or INA, had a mature woman's voice, and was more often than not quite direct and to the point.

"Code Name: Jade Shadow."

"Access Code?"

"Delta Echo Mike Oscar November Two One Six."

"Authentication?"

"Blood Tap, Confirmed."

"Authentication in Process. One moment." With nary a wince, he felt the needle tap into his wrist. 10 seconds later, his display flashed again.

"Authentication confirmed. Welcome, Jade Shadow. Security Clearance, Alpha - Two."

"Alpha - Two? I had Alpha - Prime. Why was I demoted?"

"Jade Shadow retains his rank as Major, Honorably Discharged. Due to his discharge, his clearance was initially revoked to ensure secrecy. In 2017, it was returned to him as Alpha - One after the death of his wife and child." Several gasps were heard from the room, but he and INA ignored them. "It was assumed he would utilize Monarch's resources in his hunt for her killers. After the destruction of Malfoy Manor, dubbed Ferret Den, and all occupants, Jade Shadow's access was demoted to Alpha - Two with the realization that Monarch's assistance would no longer be necessary."

"Why leave me access at all, then?"

Now, INA was the magical equivalent of a VI. That being said, her designers had taken it one step further and given her a personality. She was halfway between Apple's Siri and Halo's Cortana by this point, though closer to Cortana, as evident by her indignant look towards him. "Major, despite being Honorably Discharged, you are still an asset to Monarch. It is only because you are such a well-known name throughout the magical world that you were even permitted to leave in the first place. That you have not betrayed any of their secrets since has only reinforced their positive choice in that regard."

To the rest of the room's surprise, she turned and looked at each of them, before returning to face him. "That being said, Major, you are 'toeing the line', so to speak, by having this discussion in front of those who do not have a security clearance, and doing so in a language they understand."

"I'll take the hit. I want to speak to the General."

"General Rovik is not available at this time."

"Then make him available, damn it."

"General Rovik is not available at this time" she repeated. "However, Colonel Carter is, as is Brigadier General O'Neill and Major General Cain."

He thought it over for a moment before nodding. "Carter wouldn't have gone along with it and thus wouldn't have been in the know. O'Neil won't say a word if he knew at all. Fine, put on Cain. He's most likely to have the answers I want anyways."

She bowed slightly to him, before disappearing. Her face was replaced by that of grizzled old man with a face almost as pretty as Mad-Eye Moody's, though his nose was slightly in better shape. And the wrong eye is damaged. The similarities ended there, though, as while Moody was unpleasant on the best of days, Cain was rarely anything but joyful, even when kicking your ass. "Potter! Or is it Black? I never know what name you're going by these days." His face was all smiles at seeing the man that was more often than not called his protege.

"Cain" Harry answered plainly, and the man's smile slipped a bit.

"Now, is that how you greet your old comrade? Especially after all these years?"

"That's how I greet a man that I'm forced to wonder if he fucked with my head." Harry didn't bother hiding his dissention with the man, who had no issue picking up on it.

"I fuck with everyone's head, son, that's what I do." Harry knew that all too well. The man's ability to manipulate situations was bested only by Dumbledore, and that was likely due to old Dumbles having half a century on the man. Still, he was in no mood for games today.

"I'm talking about the memory blocks, charms, and whatever you outright deleted from my head, asshole." The man's smile slipped entirely this time, and the hardened warrior stepped forward.

"I've no idea what you're talking about, _Major_."

"Like hell you don't, _General_." That they'd resorted to ranks was evidence to the fallout between them. "For the past three weeks I've been having a memory on repeat in my dreams. At first I thought it might've just been a fucked-up fantasy of mine. But then I get to Japan…" his eyes narrowed at that, anger and surprise mixing together, "...and I meet the girl of said dream. Crazy right? Except, I've never laid eyes on her before then. And I'd have continued believing that, but guess what? She knows me!" He mock laughed with a shake of his head. "She knows my name, my real name, she even knows when we first met. And you know the craziest thing?" The man didn't answer, not that Harry actually expected him to. "She told me the date of that fateful meeting, which lands right at the beginning of that 'two-week coma' all of you said I was in."

"What are you doing in Japan, Major? You were forbidden from ever setting foot in that country." Whether he realized it or not, every other set of eyes in the room narrowed with raised eyebrows at that. How convenient that Harry had activated the translator on his wristband so everyone could follow along.

"In case you've forgotten, _General_, I don't take orders from you anymore. On top of that, that order was given to a 15-year-old boy with too much shit on his hands to really argue with such a strange order. Especially since no subsequent assignment ever required him going to Japan in the first place. And, to top it all off, what I do with my life is really, none of your goddamn business."

"It becomes my business when you disobey my direct order."

"An order that was immediately invalidated when I left your little vigilante group, dipshit."

"You swore an Oath to Monarch."

"I swore an Oath to follow all commands given to me as a member of Monarch. Once I was no longer a member - which INA tells me was shortly after my discharge, as you removed my clearance entirely - my Oath no longer bound me. Besides, in case you forgot, genius, if I truly had broken my Oath, I wouldn't be able to use this method of communication. I had it Blood Tap me, which, if you remember, checks both my blood AND my magical core for verification."

The normally unflappable man snarled at him, and Harry heard him barking orders at someone nearby. "Fine, Major Black. You've made your point. What do you want?"

"I want to know how many Memory Blocks, Charms, and Obliviations I was subjected to during my 'coma'. I want to know what was in that data pack I retrieved. I want to know what that fucking crystal was that I retrieved," Yume and Miya once again shared a surprised glance. "You know, the one that nearly fucking killed me? I want to know why it was done to me in the first place, and I want to know what my part is in this goddamn Sekirei Plan!"

Whatever the General had been prepared for, it was not for that last part, as his eyes widened in shock. "How do you know about that?"

Smirking vindictively, he pressed a button and the view rotated, showing the room at large before completing its circuit and locking onto him. "In case you didn't figure it out, those four are all Sekirei, and the young gentleman is an Ashikabi."

"You're playing a very dangerous game, Black." They stared at each other for a few minutes, before the General ducked his head in thought for a moment. "In honor of our past relationship, and for your service, I'll give you this one and only warning: Get out of Tokyo. Now. While this Game is technically ongoing, it will fully kick off within a month. Get out of there."

"I'm already involved, General, or did you not get that memo." The man raised a questioning eyebrow at him, so he threw the man a bone, hoping it doesn't bite him in the ass. "I'm an Ashikabi. I've likely already a couple Sekirei under my belt, and likely a few more on the way. Even if I have no Sekirei, I've already participated in the retrieval and protection of one, and the rescue of another, and declared war against another Ashikabi and his Sekireis, plural."

"If Sirius were alive…" he began, but was interrupted by Mount Harry.

"Don't you DARE use Sirius' name like that!" he shouted, slowly becoming apoplectic. "Sirius is DEAD because you fucking morons decided that keeping information to yourself was more important than saving lives. Eight people died on that mission, because you refused to trust anyone with the truth. Tonks died, Remus died, Sirius died. Kingsley's paralyzed, Moody lost his other leg. Even Tobias died because all of you in command decided your secrets were more important than lives. _I _almost died because of it. Fucking hell I was _possessed_ by the Dark Wanker. So spare me the bull that he'd be disappointed, or would choose your side. All I'd have to do is show him the women in the room and he'd be high-fiving me for it. So, don't you try that bullshit."

Harry had to take several deep breaths to get himself under control before he sidelined himself any further. "You are going to give me answers, General. Because if you don't, I will get them anyway by removing the blocks myself."

"You'd be willing to take that risk?" Cain asked, his poker face looking to call him on a bluff.

"I've met two women this evening alone that want to kill or maim me for something I did ten years ago: one because I got her husband killed, the other for abandoning her. I've met a third that I've been having memory flashes about for nearly three weeks, that was presumed dead for nearly the entire decade because I disappeared. And every time I meet someone that I encountered back then, I get nearly knocked out from the pain for breaking through the blocks. So yeah, if it means unlocking and retrieving all the memories you're preventing me from remembering, I'll take the risk."

"You won't like the answers you find, Major."

"I don't like the answers I have now, _General_, which are few and far between. Either you help me remember, or you can consider our relationship at an irrevocable end."

"I don't appreciate being threatened, Major Black."

"I don't appreciate my head being fucked with, then lied to for a decade, General Cain. And if you think I'm going to go out the way everyone else that leaves Monarch goes, you've another thing coming. I'll send every operative's body back to you in pieces, one day at a time."

They stared each other down, the room having gone deathly silent, not that either of them really noticed, locked in their battle of wills. Once again, the General cracked first, though his statement had a finality to it that all were dreading. "So be it." And with that, he disconnected the call, and Harry was left there staring at his communicator.

He couldn't deny part of him expecting it to go as badly as it did, but he had held out some hope. He lowered his arm, just staring at the floor for a few minutes, before spinning on the dot and marching outside, grabbing his shoes as he did.

* * *

Nothing was making sense anymore, and he knew part of it was him allowing himself to get wound up. He was certain he'd broken the first Wizard's Rule more than a few times already. He'd thought they were corny when Remus introduced him to the series, but he couldn't deny they were good tenants to live by, fiction or no. But when dealing with an organization that deals in lies like currency, how do you know what's true and what's not?

First he's on a data retrieval, then he's on a protection detail, then he's killing people. Was it all one mission? Did he allow himself to get sidetracked? Musu-, no, Yume, from his dreams, was pretty good looking. Was he so distraught after Tonks that he allowed himself to be distracted so easily? Yume even said that Karasuba had knocked him out in that bunker, and they transported him to a lab. Maybe after she knocks him out, M.B.I. fucks with his head and works him over?

No, he didn't believe that last part, terrifying as it was. He had no knowledge of M.B.I. having that sort of technology. Then again, he chastised himself, part of why he was in this mess to begin with was lack of knowledge. Or, more accurately, existing knowledge that was removed from him. The thought that M.B.I. might've had a chance to experiment on _him_ terrified him to no end. If they got their hands on a wizard, especially one of his caliber; he couldn't deny being worried about the possibilities.

If he was being honest with himself, and he was trying very hard to be completely honest at the moment, he was no longer sure of much in regards to 2010. In hindsight, he knew Monarch would go out of their way for cover ups, some to great extremes. He'd helped with several of them. What if they'd arranged the dementor attack to distract him? Monarch was supposed to be the evil that fought greater evil so others didn't have to. What if it was all a lie?

Stopping on the porch to slip his shoes on, he began taking stock of the area. Knowing Monarch as he did, they would be fast on their way to remove him from the equation, so to speak. That, or worse; they're involved in whatever's going on. For eight years he'd worked for and with Monarch to upstage and upend world governments, particularly the ICW. Until Sirius' death he'd not once questioned their actions, his own actions on their behalf. Now, he wondered if he didn't question them enough. How many missions had he gone on that were actually wrong? What really happened 10 years ago? Was his mission simply data retrieval, or was he sent to kill Takehito?

He couldn't remember ever failing a protection job. Miya said he'd sworn to protect Takehito, yet he didn't have any memory of the man except the brief flashes he kept getting. She had no reason to lie to him. Yet, her husband was dead and she's blaming him. Grief? Or did he actually do something, or worse, did he fail?

Walking around the property, he was casually waving his wand, putting up various protection spells. He didn't expect to be attacked here, as this isn't his place. But he wouldn't put it past Monarch to have triangulated his location, either. In hindsight, he'd said a LOT more than he meant to. He was not one for regret, but was very close to regretting not fixing his Occlumency shields before that conversation.

He also realized, as he completed the lap, that he'd accumulated more questions than answers, and they hadn't actually finished that conversation. That'd have to be remedied in the near future, when he wasn't so emotionally bent. Catching a glimpse of Musubi through a window, he shook his head and continued his perimeter walk. Another conversation to have.

Which brought him to the third girl that was a source of anguish: Akitsu. Part of him was thinking he should've gone after her instead of letting her leave, but the rest of him was asking, "What would you have said?" There wasn't anything else _to_ say until he had more answers. Until he had something to offer her. If she had truly been his Sekirei, and they'd been truly bonded, and he failed his end of that bond, didn't she have the right to take matters into her own hands? What right did he have to challenge that? Despite the extremes she'd gone to do so.

'_What are Sekirei?' _He began making a list of questions in his head. While looking human, he was almost certain they weren't. Not entirely, at least. Musubi's demonstration of jumping the length of a football field without difficulty gave testament to that. Wielding elements and various powers without a foci wasn't all that uncommon in the wizarding world. There were numerous rituals that allowed you to focus your magical power by sacrificing your control of practically everything else. But, he was 99.99% certain they weren't witches either. And if they weren't actually human… Well, Harry would wait to cross that bridge when it became necessary, and he was certain that necessity would be soon.

'_What are these "adjustments"? Why'd they get them?'_ Kagari had mentioned something about being adjusted. Or about Akitsu being adjusted. Harry was so scatterbrained at the moment he was having difficulty remembering the night's events straight, let alone the conversations.

'_Why do they need to be "winged" by someone? Is that a natural part of their physiology, or a side-effect of these "adjustments"?'_ Harry was no stranger to being bonded to someone. He remembered when Gabby had bonded herself to him nearly three years earlier after Daphne was killed. How angry he had been when she'd done that, all but enslaving herself to his whim. He remembered how angry Hermione had been. He'd never been so hurt by his then-best friend in his life, and she had refused to listen to how impossible it was to break the bond without killing Gabby.

Harry sighed. Thinking of his ex-best friend hurt too much. In some ways, worse than thinking of Ginny or Daphne, let alone… he shook his head to clear his thoughts. It wasn't the time to be going down memory lane.

'_What is the Sekirei Plan? How do I stop it? What is the point of winning? What happens to those who don't want to play?'_ Harry liked competition, LOVED competition. It gave him purpose, a push, a drive. There was a part of him that wanted to join this "game" just so he could win, the costs be damned. Every Sekirei he's knowingly come across loved to fight in some sort. The exception being the one he rescued, though it's not as if they'd had a whole lot of time together. Even little Kusano was wide-eyed smiling watching Musubi and 43 go at it, or Homura and Akitsu.

'_Even Hana likes fighting, though that's strictly in the bedroom. Seems a stretch, but fighting for dominance fits, in a way. And the heavens know Kara likes fighting, considering how many times she's nearly killed me. Even Kagari in his Homura personage was enjoying his spar with Akitsu. And he joyfully watched my little bout with Toyotoma. _

'_And Miya. She's always walking like a wound spring, ready to strike. She may not actively seek the fight, but is most certainly willing. And if the damage she can do with a simple cooking spoon is any indication, she's more than capable.'_

"What are you going to do, Harry-sama?" He jumped in surprise. So lost in thought he'd been, he didn't even realize he'd made another lap around the Inn. Or maybe it was several? He honestly had no idea. Checking the time on his phone, it was nearing 1 in the morning, yet he could hear that everyone was awake, sans Kusano and New Girl.

"I don't know, Yume" he answered, looking down at the brunette that was kneeling on the edge of the porch in traditional Japanese form. _'What is that called again? I remember it had something to do with Liza. Sensei Liza she liked to be called. She always sat like that. Rhymed with her name too… SEIZA! Right. Morgan had a strange pneumonic for it, Sensei Liza sits Seiza. Weird guy, too…' _

"Gabby-san mentioned a ritual to help you remember. Are you going to go through with it?"

Harry nodded before answering. "Yeah. I need to remember. Whatever happened to you, Miya, Akitsu, Takehito, whatever I did, I need to know. How much of it was my fault? How much was out of my hands? How much had to do with my mission? What _was_ my mission? How much did M.B.I. try doing to me?" He took a deep breath, staring at his feet. "How much was me being manipulated by those around me?"

Neither said anything for a moment, and he could see the hurt and sadness on the woman's face, as well as resignation. "I wish I could convince you of the truth from my perspective, but perhaps it is better you learn it for yourself. Wizard's First Rule, I believe you called it."

Harry was momentarily taken aback, but couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "Yeah, that sounds like something I'd've said back then. My uncle had bought me this book series, _The Sword of Truth_. They had these Wizard Rules, basically rules of life to live by. Corny, but effective. And, not a bad code to begin with if you don't have one. I was pretty obsessed with the series at one point."

"I remember" she smiled wanly. "We even went to a bookstore, several bookstores, to find a copy in Japanese for me to read."

"And Akitsu?"

"She wasn't much of a reader, but she'd have done it if she thought it made you happy."

He just sighed, so much missing. "I don't know what to do with her, Yume. I don't know how to fix it, if it even can be fixed. If she even wants it fixed."

She finally stood, and stepped up to him to take his hand. She rolled his fingers between hers for a few minute before looking back up at him. "Whatever can be done, we'll do it together." Leaning in, she went to kiss him, only for him to turn his cheek at the last moment. She backed up, startled, her eyes watering heavily.

"No. Don't reject me as well. I've waited 10 years for you, Harry. TEN YEARS! I may not have a body anymore, but I still feel pain, Harry Potter. You're still my Ashikabi, don't turn your back on me."

Her shout had the unintentional side effect of drawing a worried-looking Minato, hearing Musubi's raised voice. Miya came out as well, spoon in hand. She heard the last of the conversation, and immediately put together what was going on. She knelt down in seiza as well, taking the silent vigil.

"I'm not rejecting you, Yume" Harry answered, raising a hand to cup her cheek. She backed up a bit, rage and despair swelling in her eyes. "I'm not. I'm not some 15-year-old kid following orders anymore. No one's taking me away."

"Then why? Why won't you kiss me? Why do you refuse to even touch me? WHY?" To his credit, Minato was keeping his mouth shut, but Harry could see the man's own sadness growing in his eyes.

"Because this isn't you, Yume" Harry provided. He took a step towards her, and was grateful she didn't retreat further. "The woman I am speaking to now, is my Sekirei Yume. But…" he took her hand, bringing it up between them. "This body, isn't yours. What would happen if you kissed me? I'm not Musubi's Ashikabi." He turned towards Minato, who had switched to surprise and confusion. "Musubi might've reacted to me as well, but she needs you, Minato."

"Why me?" he asked. "I'm no one special. I failed my entrance exam to the University, and have a part-time job. I can't take care of her. You can. You'd be much better off than me."

"Because you have a good heart, Minato" Harry pointed out, poking him in the chest. "That same heart that got Kusano's attention, and you went off on your own despite Sekirei invading those woods. Even after getting beaten down by one, you still stood there defiant against her instead of giving in. Granted, you were on your back, but the point is the same. You risked great injury to rescue a girl you didn't know. You took in Musubi despite my practically depositing her in your apartment after meeting, then foolheartedly got you kicked out of said apartment. Which, by the way" he leaned and looked at Miya, "we need to discuss his rent and how much I owe you for their deposit and first month. That is why I came here in the first place however many hours ago that was. Man, it's been a long day"

Miya just giggled, covering her mouth with a slight nod.

"Anyways, before I got sidetracked and ruined the mood, you're a good kid, Sahashi. You'd be surprised just how attractive a big heart is, and that's why Musubi is reacting so heavily to you. That you were unwilling to wing her until now because you wanted what's best for her just proves my point. I won't even bother lying, had she tried mounting me like she did you in your apartment, I'd not have stopped her, nor any of the other times she's tried springing it on you. The only reason I stopped her now" he turned towards Musu-Yume, "is because I honestly don't know what will happen if I kiss _my _Sekirei who is inhabiting the body of an unwinged one. Do I only affect mine, or both? While Musubi is very attractive, and Yume isn't making it easy, Musubi needs you much more than she needs me."

Minato looked very unsure, looking between him and Musu-Yume. "B-b-but she reacted to you as well, Black-sama."

"How much of that was actually Musubi, Minato?" At his confused look, he indicated the woman in question. "When Musubi landed on us, Yume here recognized me."

"She did? How do you know?"

"While you were busy staring up her derrière," despite the darkness, Minato's reddening face was visible, and both women giggled, "I was face-to-face with her. The recognition was in her eyes. And while that moment wasn't much, at your apartment we had a short conversation while you were in the lavatory. It was… unsettling." After rubbing the back of his neck, he looked back at Musu-Yume, who was also deep in thought. "How much of Musubi was influenced because Yume here emerged?" Harry shook his head, glancing at a stoic Miya, before adding more.

"There is a part of me that wants to grant Yume her wish, and wing Musubi. But, what sort of man would that make me? How would that be any better than rape?" He took one of Musu-Yume's hands in his own, thumbing the back of hers. "I refuse to be that person. Even at the cost of my own happiness. I won't do that, I won't _be_ that." Yume just nodded, fighting back a sniffle as her hand dropped to her sides.

Harry raised her chin with a finger. "Besides, Musubi is far too innocent for her own good. She wouldn't survive a week under me."

Despite herself, Yume snorted at the innuendo, lightening the mood considerably. A couple watery chuckles later she was nodding in agreement. "No, I don't think she would, unfortunately." She sighed dramatically. "Which is frustrating to no end, let me tell you."

It was Harry's turn to chuckle. Even Minato let out an awkward chuckle, very much uncomfortable with the insinuations. "Despite the jokes, that does bring up a good point." Looking at the younger male, who was looking very awkward, he grinned as he added the kicker. "After all, we're now two men sharing the same woman. Ever had a threesome, Minato?"

His face erupted in a bloody Niagara Falls. Thankfully for all, he turned away from the duo who were doubled over laughing at the reaction. Even Miya was tittering from her perch. None of which made the young man feel any better.

Conjuring another cloth, he handed it to the young man before waving his wand again, and stopped the bleeding. "I think I've messed with your sensibilities enough for one evening. At this rate, you'll pass out from blood loss."

"I appweciate it" was the response in a high-pitched nasally voice, as his nose was being stuffed with the cloth. "Da dopping, nod da bwood woss." Chuckling again, he patted the boy on his back.

"I already stopped the blood flow for you. Just clean up the blood on your face a bit." Minato didn't appear to believe him at first, hesitating to remove the cloth. But, after a few moments, he did so, slowly, and discovered that, sure enough, it'd stopped.

"Thank you."

"Anytime." While Sahashi dabbed at his face, Potter turned towards the woman next to them, who was twitching. "Yume?"

"Musubi is attempting to regain control of her body, EJ-sama" was the immediate reply. "Seeing Minato hurt upset her."

"Well, we best get to letting her have it back then. That's another part of the conversation the four of us will have to have. Though, working it so both you and Musubi can partake will be somewhat of a challenge. Something to think about later." Musu-Yume gave a couple quick, short nods, still fighting from losing complete control. Harry laid a hand on the woman's shoulder, and the twitching immediately stopped. "Just a few more moments, Musubi. Minato's fine. He was just the receiving end of some jokes that made him uncomfortable. You can ask him in a little while. Please, just a few more moments."

He got a high-pitched "Ok!" in response, startling both men and the currently awake Yume, who covered her mouth mortified. "Whew, this will take some getting used to. I'll have to teach you how to communicate with her."

Yume didn't respond vocally, just nodding, her mouth still covered, as Minato cocked his head at her slightly.

"How- how do you know when you're talking to Musubi and not Yume?"

Harry couldn't help the smirk. "I've a number of ways, including how Yume specifically reacts to me, both physically and grammatically. But, the easiest and most obvious is the eyes. Musubi has brown eyes, Yume has violet, like you see her have now." Harry hadn't realized until the words left his mouth just how bright the porchlights were. They were _very_ bright that such a detail was visible to normal eyes at nearly 0200.

"Does… does it hurt, when you change between Musubi and… well, you?" the smaller man asked. Harry fought back another laugh, as did Yume, whose horrified eyes were now giving way to mirth. The innocent question had her lowering her hand, a smile on her face.

"No, it doesn't hurt. It can be startling, at times. And, I try not to do it too much so I don't interfere with Musubi's life. But, with my Ashikabi around, the temptation has been too great."

"Which is something I'll have to look into, actually…" Harry mused, rubbing the back of his head. Both turned quizzical looks towards him, and he waved them off. "In the magical world there are ways to create someone a new body if their soul is intact. "

"Really?" Minato was beyond surprised, while Yume looked hopeful. She stepped up to him, taking his hand in both of hers.

"You're not lying to me, are you Harry-sama?"

He shook his head. "I've witnessed it occur twice. Granted, one ritual we will most assuredly _NOT_ be doing, unless you have the bone of your father, flesh from a servant and blood of an enemy."

"That's… oddly specific" Yume offered, scrunching her face. "And quite morbid."

"Magic can be reeeally fucked up at times" Harry agreed, before shaking his head. "Anyways," he glanced at his phone again, "it's gotten early and we've gotten way off-topic about the most current necessity. Musubi needs to be winged, before anyone tries coming after her like they did Kusano."

Despite the change of topic and tone, Minato didn't balk. "But… that won't affect your bond with Yume-san, will it?" Harry just shook his head with a smile, gripping the man's shoulder with his hand.

"And that's why you're the right one for Musubi, Sahashi" he repeated, before looking towards Miya. "However, that is a very good question. Any insight, Miya?"

"As I have never been winged myself, I am unable to personally comment on it" she supplied, another tidbit for the last Potter to file away for later. "However, it is believed that once bonded, a Sekirei can never again bond to another besides her Ashikabi. That Akitsu has taken another Ashikabi seems to give lie to that. However, from what she revealed to us about her experimentations, it is likely that she has not truly formed a bond with her new Ashikabi, and is merely serving him. Being considered discarded, it is likely she has merely taken residence with the first Ashikabi that offered her a home."

The last Black couldn't help the sardonic grin. "Is it wrong that the possibility of her NOT being winged to another actually pleases me a bit? That feels awfully wrong of me, but I am finding myself not caring, so long as I still have a chance to get her back."

"In some lights, yes, it is very wrong and selfish. However, it could also be argued you are finally doing your duty as her Ashikabi to take care of her; so, in that light, no, not at all. Just shame on you for taking so long." In the time it took Harry to blink, Miya had drawn her spoon, thrown it at him, and hit him square between the eyes, and folded her arms in her sleeves again. While Minato was blinking in surprise at the woman's speed, and Yume smirking at his plight, Harry had laughed again, picking up the spoon. "You are lethal with this thing, you know that?"

"I have to keep scoundrels and those with perverted notions at bay. I must utilize the tools I have available to me" she added, smiling with that demonic visage. He laughed again as Minato AND Musu-Yume took steps backwards, and another when she pulled out a soup ladle.

'_Must be a good story behind that. What'd Minato do? What'd Yume do? Wouldn't that be crazy if… wait…'_

"After all, Black-san, I remember just how womanizing you were 10 years ago, and you've not changed much since, as far as I can tell."

'_Yep, bingo. She busted me doing something. Fantasies about the landlady being stored behind security vaults. Best not let those come to light. Don't see that going well for my anatomy.'_

"Wow, quite the party out here, what'd I miss? Miya, you flirting with your newest tenant? He is sexy, isn't he?"

If Harry was surprised by the sudden boldness from Uzume against Miya, Yume and Minato were doubly if not triply so. Right up until she wandered out, and collapsed against the porch wall holding a bottle. _'Ah. She found the good stuff. That explains it. Nothing like liquid courage, is there Uzume?'_

"And if you wish to continue residing here, Uzume, you will not be engaging in any fornication activities under this roof, is that understood?" the landlady declared, directing her entire demon visage at the brunette. _'I think that is the fastest I've ever seen anyone sober up before. I really need to learn that trick.'_

"Y-Y-Yes, Miya, n-n-no need to get all scary like that." Harry just laughed again, not even holding it in as the normally flirtatious woman became paler than the veils she controlled.

After a moment, Miya dropped the visage. "Good." She stood back up, brushing down her kimono. "Now, it is late. While I wish to continue this discussion, it would be better done tomorrow after a full night's rest. Black-san, will you and Gabby-san be sleeping here tonight, or returning to your hotel? If you decide to stay here tonight, you will behave yourselves."

"Don't worry, Miya, it's been too much of a rollercoaster tonight for either of us to be in the mood" Harry assured the woman. She didn't look all that convinced, but nonetheless nodded and turned indoors. Uzume let out a deep breath, and with a wink towards him, followed her inside.

"It's going to be a miracle if we ever have a straight conversation here" Harry voiced to the two remaining outside. Yume giggled like a schoolgirl, and Minato laughed, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Look, whatever you choose to do, Minato, is between you and Musubi. Yume is not going to interfere with that decision, are you?" He directed the question/order towards the girl in question, and he saw her eyes dilate slightly before nodding. _'Hmm, so I didn't imagine it. Giving direct orders actually forces a form of compliance. Interesting.'_

"Yes, Harry-sama. As you say." She sighed, looking down and twiddling her fingers. "I must add, for the record, I wish to be selfish and have you simply wing Musubi as well." She shook her head and looked up at them both. "Which, as Karasuba would tell you, is ironic, considering how much I advocated for every Sekirei to find their own Ashikabi on their own terms. However, much as I find myself wanting to go against that at this moment, you are right, Harry-sama, this isn't my body. I find myself forgetting that more and more often of late."

"Tomorrow, after the ritual, you can tell me what happened from your point of view, and we can compare notes. What happened to your body? Did M.B.I. preserve it, or…"

"I don't know, admittedly. I know they kept it in a stasis pod at first, but after June of 2011, it was moved, and I never saw it again."

'_June 2011. Coincidence? I really hope not. Though, it makes me wonder when Akitsu went through with the experimentation. I just hope it wasn't also around then. My soul took quite the beating around then.'_

"Well, we will figure it out." He stepped forward and kissed her on the forehead. "For now, though, it's time to let Musubi have her body back. This is going to be awkward enough as it is, let's not compound it."

She sighed defeated, before leaning up and kissing his cheek. "Yes, my Ashikabi, as you wish" she whispered in his ear, before kissing his cheek again. She stepped back and closed her eyes, and Harry reached out and could almost _feel_ the shift, as he watched her physically change back into Musubi.

Minato was standing their very awkwardly, and Harry couldn't blame the man. Were it not for his sexual adventures over the years, he'd likely be in the same shoes. He'd watched other men sleep with Gabby a few times, and even participated in sharing once, and never again if he had anything to say about it. But, sharing two different women in one body? He had a brief flash of imagining dating only one person of conjoined twins, while a friend dated the other. _'I wonder how accurate _Stuck on You_ was in portraying that? Though, that was only two men stuck at the hip, not sharing most of their body. Maybe it's like _Alone_? Except neither are the evil twin? Or _Sisters_? No, another evil twin. _

'_Then again, I wonder if Yume forces Musubi to allow her control, or they have some internal trade-off? Now THAT'S a question. Yume probably IS the evil twin here. But, I can't deny the two separate personalities… HOLY SHIT, it's true Schizophrenia! That's great, never slept with a Schizo. Wow. That sounds bad. Yeah, never repeat that, Potter, regardless of how interesting it would be. You're already fucked up enough as it is. Ha, just wait until you get to the REALLY bad fantasies._

'_Probably a good thing no one hears most of my strange fantasies. If Gabby's weren't almost as bad, I doubt I'd've ever told her any of them. You'd never peg her to be a furry…'_

He was brought out of his awfully disturbing and fucked up inner monologue by a bright flash, and he looked up to see Musubi sprouting pink wings, holding a gloved fist to her chest. She was smiling radiantly at Minato, who was smiling an equally goofy smile back at her, before she kissed him again and hugged him tight. He was fairly certain he heard a couple bones pop, but couldn't help but be happy for the guy.

'_Oh, I really hope I don't regret this. I know I made good arguments with Yume, but I really don't have a damn clue what'll happen to her bond with me. Only one way to find out… just not tonight. No, let them have this night. Better head to bed.'_

The new couple were so lost in each other Harry just smiled at them, and turned to find his girlfriend.


	6. Picasso Called

**A/N: Hey y'all! Sorry for the long delay. Events in my personal life have made writing a very low priority. Work, moving, work, family, work, my own issues, and work have just been ASLKJAL;EUIAJSL;BJAOEI. Ugh. **

**This chapter is short. The reason being that most of it I just wrote in the past hour before posting it. Pretty much the entire segment with Higa as I had a sudden realization while editing my original Chap 6 I'd nearly completely neglected any reaction from him for the events that have occurred thus far. Combine that with the fact I am mentally frazzled from everything, I apologize for how... yuck... this chapter is. Things should be calming down the next few weeks, but it may be another month before the next chapter - which is already written, and would've been this chapter before my new additions - is posted, as I'll need to edit it to incorporate this chapter's revelations. **

**Standard not a native tea drinker, so not the owner of any recognizable characters.**

* * *

April 10th, 2020

Izumo Inn

.

"Wakey wakey rise and shakey!" Harry stirred, and the mass on his chest clutched their arms around him tighter.

"Fi- mo- mints" it mumbled, and the green-eyed man just chuckled. He raised his head slightly, and saw the long-haired brunette at the door in nothing more than a bath towel.

"Mmm, now that's a nice sight to wake up to" Harry voiced, and Gabby mumbled before turning her head slightly.

"She's wearing too much" she muttered, before turning her head around and closing her eyes again. "Come back with less and then we'll talk."

"If Miya had left already, I would have woken you two up quite differently. But, she's still here, and I value my life too much" she chimed, and Harry's deep chuckle had the amusing effect of bouncing Gabby's head up and down a bit.

"Stop that" she muttered, inching up so her head was under his chin. "'M, comfy, more sleepy."

"I trust you're not being inappropriate in here, Uzume? After all, rent is due soon, and I would hate to kick you out for inappropriate conduct."

Miya's ninja declaration had Uzume almost losing her towel as she jumped in surprise, clearing half the room with that one bound before turning around, clutching the towel to her chest like a lifeline. Harry was most certainly not going to mention how she landed close enough that he was getting a free view.

"N-N-N-No Miya, I was just waking them up. Y'know, Early bird and all that."

"Oh good. Why don't you go get dressed in your own room while these two wake."

"Suddenly that sounds like an amazing idea, Miya, I'll just get going" she stuttered, shaking in fear as she bolted.

"Mmm, Miya, you wear too much too. And tokking too much. Come back with less then we see." Gabby's sudden declaration and Miya's subsequent gawk of surprise was nearly too much for Harry. His whole body was vibrating from trying not to laugh out loud, which just rubbed her lithe body against his. He felt his body's reaction, and was split between following the house rules or his body's rules. He couldn't help but have that fantasy of Miya suddenly joining them run through his head. It wasn't helped by her still standing there as if considering her request.

"Fuuuuug… Harry, stop shaking me. I was having this great dream about Miya. You had us both tied up and hanging from the ceiling, 'cept she was eating me out while you was reaming her from behind. I had one of your special vibrators in my ass, and I think she did too, and the force of you fucking her was sending her face into my pussy. Fuck it was hot." Throughout all of this, Harry had his free hand spiderwebbed over his face, nearly choking himself from how hard he was covering his mouth and nose, redder than the ripest of tomatoes from his war with his own body, and was vibrating violently from laughter as he observed Miya's reaction to the blonde's explanation.

He was not disappointed, as at first she was simply amused, preparing to chastise her, or them both. Then she was shocked, with the appearance of one who'd never heard such lewd comments, and now was looking very much a fish out of water.

"Why you still shaking, 'arry, you cold or sumtin'?" Gabby leaned her head back yawning, sliding off to the side before looking at him and squinting. "Why is your face so red?" She grabbed his hand covering his face, and saw he wasn't even looking at her. She followed his gaze…

And saw Miya standing there, in the doorway, hand to her mouth in scandalous fashion, eyes wide open, and hand over her heart. Uzume was cackling on the floor behind her in the hallway, both hands on her stomach as she laid there on her side, eyes clenched shut with streams of tears leaking.

"Um… hi… Miya…" That was it for Harry, and he lost all sense of decorum, and busted out laughing, rolling over on his stomach with his head in his arms, howling like a mad hyena as he pounded the floor. That of course woke up the rest of the house, and no level of questioning could get a straight answer out of Uzume or Harry, Gabby was frozen in embarrassment, and Miya was too shocked to respond to anything.

Needless to say, it was a very strange and hilarious sight, and only a tired-eyed Kusano arriving and saying she was hungry snapped everyone out of it, and the morning progressed as expected.

* * *

"I trust that none of your imaginations came to pass last night, Gabby-san?" Miya's tone was overly polite, but it didn't stop Uzume and Harry from another burst of laughter. It wasn't helped by Gabby turning red, which only fueled it. Several minutes later, they managed to get themselves composed, before looking at each other and falling into another fit, leaning into each other for support.

"That is quite enough you two." As if a light switch, Uzume immediately sat up straight, absolute terror in her face.

"Y-Y-Yes, Miya." She began eating in earnest, not making eye contact with anyone. Musubi and Kusano were both equally confused, though Harry caught a flash of amused violet in her eyes. Minato looked on the verge of a nosebleed, the conversation tickling his senses, but unable or unwilling to believe it.

"No, Miya, we behaved ourselves, as you requested" Harry provided, and Minato's mind finally connected the dots, and ducked his head in embarrassment.

"That is good. Now, Minato-san, you have work today?"

The sudden addressing startled him. That, combined with the tone used towards Uzume, had him sitting ramrod straight and answering earnestly. "Yes, Miya-dono. We're cleaning up the park. I got called this morning, and all the trees apparently died overnight somehow."

"Shiina…" All eyes turned towards Kusano, whose big green eyes were nearing tears. Without hesitation, Minato was next to her, hugging her to his chest. Everyone else smiled softly at the sight, before returning to their breakfast.

"What are your plans for the day, Doctor Black?"

"Nothing too much. Have a patient to check up on, but that's it." Uzume's head snapped up at him with a wide smile, before returning to her breakfast with gusto.

"A patient? Here in Japan?" Kagari asked, entering the room.

"That's why I'm even here in the first place, Kagari" he responded, taking a drink of tea. He had to admit, Japanese tea certainly had its own appeal. "I've been seeing her for over two years now, and only recently was able to discern the cure."

"What kind of disease takes two years to locate the cure for?" More than a few eyes turned to Kagari questioningly. "What? I was curious about him, so I had… um… I mean, I looked him up." Harry didn't miss the slip, and neither did Uzume or Miya for that matter: Miya just raised her eyebrow at him, and Uzume smirked. 'Hmm… so he's familiar with the eavesdropper, who apparently is a good researcher. Interesting. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised, if they've the whole house wired. Might be nearing the time to discover this stranger.' "He's a renowned virologist and epidemiologist, specifically in rare illnesses. Has a reputation for only taking the most difficult of cases."

"I didn't realize I had such a reputation" Harry answered with a smile, taking another sip of tea. "Not that I'm denying it, I have to keep myself busy somehow. Advantage of being a concierge doctor; I get to pick my own clients."

"How much about this patient in Japan are you permitted to tell us, EJ-sama?" Uzume prompted with a hint of tease and challenge in them. He shook his head.

"Nothing much: patient confidentiality I assure you. But, to answer your question, Kagari, the disease in question is so rare, that I had to visit the Library of Alexandria to find it. It hasn't been seen in nearly half a millennium, and doesn't even register on the World Health Organization's list of diseases, it's so old."

"How would something that old reoccur? Old diseases don't just re-appear for no reason, it would have to be intentional, wouldn't it?"

Harry froze, drink halfway to his mouth. Kagari's question had never once crossed his mind. His mind was now running as fast as it could, putting together pieces he didn't even think to connect. He lowered his drink, slowly looking at Uzume. The shock he just felt was mirrored on her face, both of them slowly paling.

Without preamble, Uzume up and bolted from the room, no doubt to her Ashikabi, as the front door slammed only seconds later.

"What's wrong with Uzume?" Kusano's question surprised everyone, including Minato who was still holding her. No one'd realized she'd stopped crying.

Harry didn't answer, and only vaguely heard Miya whispering to her. _'Why didn't I ever question that? I normally do, isolating the origins on how such diseases are contracted. How did she come by it? I never once asked. Why wouldn't I have asked? Did I simply become so fascinated by it that I ignored it? No, that's not it. Knowing how she came by it would've sped up my discover that much sooner. No, something's missing. Something I'm forgetting about the disease itself. I need to talk to Chiho.'_

"I gotta go. Thank you, Kagari, I don't know why that thought never crossed my mind. It doesn't bode well in any case." He leaned down and kissed the top of Gabby's head. "I'll leave the car here for you. I'm heading to the hotel to change real quick." He looked back at Miya, who was still talking with Kusano, debating for a moment before turning to Kagari. "We still need to talk with a couple friends of mine. Will they be welcome to visit here, or should I have them stay where they are?"

Kagari was quick on the uptake, and glanced at Miya himself before answering. "I'll talk it over with Miya, but it shouldn't be a problem if they don't cause any trouble." Harry nodded.

"Alright. Gabby can go pick them up when she heads there to change herself. I'll let them know to expect her, and to behave if Miya's ok with it." With a last kiss to Gabby, he headed out the door.

* * *

"Doctor Black, how many times do I have to repeat, you are not welcome here!" Kakizaki was as irritating as usual, trailing behind him as he headed for Chiho's new room. The hospital had tried moving her to different areas in the attempt to keeping Harry away from her, but had yet to succeed. If it hadn't been for Chiho's worries and outright refusing his hospitality on the grounds of not being a burden, he'd have moved her the day Higa first tried kicking him out.

"And I will remind you, yet again, Kakizaki, that I don't answer to you or your boss. She is my patient, and there is quite literally nothing you can do about it."

"Higa cut off her finances in regards to paying for your services. That means you were fired" he snapped, grabbing Black's left arm and spinning him around. Following the spin, Harry's right grabbed him by the head and slammed it face-first into the wall, added an elbow for effect, enjoying the sickening *crunch*, then finished the 360 and continued on to the room.

When he arrived, Uzume and Chiho were holding onto each other tightly. Chiho had recovered enough physically to be able to make a lap around the room, which was remarkable by normal standards. Harry'd conspired with Uzume and they had been slipping small doses of muscle recovery potion into her meals and drinks. As Uzume was there every day, and since arriving in Japan so had Harry, it had been a simple task. He hadn't told her exactly what it was, though would likely be doing so soon, but he had assuaged her it would speed up her recovery. Chiho being able to stand, albeit briefly, without help after only three days was all the proof she'd needed.

Right now the two were in the sofa chair, both looked as if they'd been crying, Uzume harder than Chiho. They both looked up as he entered, and were a bit taken back by his thunderous look.

"Uzume, pack up Chiho's belongings. Everything. She's leaving. Now."

Harry noticed the mild dilation, almost imperceptible if he hadn't had his senses on high alert. He filed it away for later as she nodded quickly, and turned to Chiho and kissed her gently. Chiho returned the kiss, but was extremely confused and concerned.

"What's going on, EJ-sama? Uzume-chan wasn't making a lot of sense. Something about my being intentionally-"

"Not now" he interrupted, closing the door with force, causing both girls to jump. He pulled out his wand and waved it a few times, before spinning around. His eyes landed on several items in the room, but widened at one in particular. "Uzume, drop the bunny."

Uzume froze, one of the overstuffed bunnies in her hand. She looked at him questioningly, but his face left no room for argument so set it down and backed up. He approached it, waving his wand in various patterns, before levitating it. "Finite Totalum." To the girl's surprise, the bunny's eyes and nose transformed into cameras and an audio device. Harry ripped the head off, ignoring Chiho's cries, and dropped the body as he cast a couple more spells at it. A couple moments later, the rest of the bunny disintegrated, leaving only the recording equipment, which silenced both women in the room.

"Goddamnit, Cain. Goddamn you to fucking hell." He waved his wand again, and no less than a dozen runes appeared on its sides. "Asswipes. They've been fucking with my head again."

"What is it, EJ-Sama?" Uzume queried, inching to his side.

"Magical Runes. Specifically, compulsion runes. They're exactly as they sound like, they compel a person or persons in specific manners. Could be anything from making someone talk too much, or do specific things, the imagination is the limit. Hell, they could have been set that Chiho here would fuck anyone who walked in this room."

A loud "eeep!" and fast steps had Uzume and Chiho clutching each other. "Magic can do that?" Uzume voiced, ignoring Chiho's questioning look.

"Magic can do a lot of things, Uzume, but yes, it can do that" he spat out disgustedly, before turning to the redhead. "But that's not what these ones were for, Chiho. These ones weren't for you. They were for me."

That pulled Uzume up, and she glanced questioningly at Chiho before back at Harry. "What do you mean? She's had that bunny since…"

"Before she came to the hospital, yeah" Harry finished, to which Chiho raised her eyebrows.

"How do you know that? I don't think you've ever asked about that bunny before."

"And I never would have. These runes prevented me from doing so."

Chiho was utterly confused, Uzume only less-so, but she'd been witness to the argument the night before.

"You said 'Cain'. Is it the same Cain you talked to last night?"

Harry nodded his affirmative. "Yes. About a decade ago, during my service, an old friend of mine, Hermione, and my then-friend Daphne, who would later become my second wife, helped me figure out a runic sequence that essentially combines magic and electricity, allowing them to function together. The reasons aren't important at the moment, but magic and electricity don't go together, much like oil and water, except they fight each other more than just coexist. This, however," he pointed at the camera, "is a product of that achievement, making them work in harmony. And these runes are specifically attuned to me."

"Why you?" Uzume asked.

"That, my dear, is the right question. And the answer, I don't think any of us are going to like. Suffice it to say, Chiho, you did not contract that disease by accident. I am now of the mind you were intentionally infected so I would be brought to Japan."

Chiho was getting a headache, all the new information blurring together. But, that he'd just answered what she'd told him not to ask confused her. "I thought you said not to-"

"I did, because I was worried we were being monitored. And I was right. I've already disabled all of them, so it's safe to talk."

"But, why you?" Uzume repeated, not having left the previous conversation, and bringing them both back to it. Harry just shook his head.

"I don't know, Uze. I really don't. But I fear it has something to do with what happened 10 years ago when I was first here. Chiho has been used as the bait to keep bringing me back, infecting her with an ancient disease that was created by the Babylonians. The fact that I found the cure on a scroll made of flesh should tell you just how old it is. And it was nearly pure chance that I succeeded at all. Nearly."

Chiho looked like her head was going to explode, and Harry wanted to fill her in, but time and place didn't allow it. He was still analyzing the camera, having already dismantled the transmitter, but was hoping to save the inner workings.

Uzume was looking back and forth between Chiho and Harry, her mind trying to make the bridge she knew was there but wasn't quite connecting. The argument of the previous night was running through her head as well, looking for clues, before a major one finally sank in.

"The Sekirei Plan. You're here for the Plan." Chiho's eyes widened as she looked at Uzume as if she'd just shared a national secret. Which, from her perspective, the Plan was to be a secret. That weird professor guy had even personally visited her to explain her role in all of it, and imprint the need for secrecy.

Harry didn't physically respond, his focus still on the rune sequence. "I'm not sure, Uzume, but that I found the cure just as the Game is about to kick off seems too much of a coincidence. My modus operandi is such that I usually spend extra time with my patients during their recovery period. It's not a secret amongst my clients. As Chiho's recovery period is going to be extensive, though sped up by the potions we've been giving her, I'll be here awhile. I don't have any other ongoing cases at the moment, having closed them in the month before arriving here.

"It all seems too convenient and coincidental, and I don't believe in coincidences at all. I told you two about my buying a place in-town. I had, have, every intention of inviting both of you to stay with us so I can keep a closer eye on Chiho. GOTCHA!" He nearly shouted the last, and the two girls saw the camera unfold like a Transformer. In it was a blue-crystal in the shape of a cube. Harry took it in-hand, and examined it before zeroing in on a particular segment.

His already angry face darkened further, and the window to the room shattered. He turned to the brunette. "Keep packing. Leave her hairbrush, all the toiletries, her phone, the rest of this bunny, and those Yoda slippers. Actually, put them all in the shower. They have monitoring charms on them, and the phone is traceable." She jumped to it, and Harry pulled out his mole-skin pouch, remembering his biggest friend who'd given it to him all those years ago. 'I wonder what my life would be like if I trusted as easily as you did, Hagrid. You deserved so much better, my friend. Rest in peace.' He pulled out a trunk, and tapped it a few times as it grew and set it on the ground. He tapped a sequence to it, then pressed his thumb to a small metal disc on the front. A prick on the finger later, and a drop of blood, the trunk opened.

"Toss everything else in here. I'll carry it with us." Uzume didn't question it, sensing the rush. Chiho was undergoing a paradigm shift, as the green-eyed man kept doing things with a little stick that shouldn't be possible. Several minutes later, Harry was slamming the trunk shut, shrinking it, and shoving it back into his pouch. He then pulled out a small flash drive, heading towards the bathroom.

He picked up the phone and plugged it in, tapping a button on the drive. A couple more minutes later it flashes green, and he dropped the phone back into the tub. "Localum Inflamare." The items all burst into blue flame and, a few seconds later, were nothing but ash. He cast a quick aguamenti and washed the ashes down the drain, before drying the shower again, leaving it as clean as it had been.

Coming back out, Uzume had transformed into her battle outfit, as the doctor was calling it, and was standing behind Chiho, her hands on her shoulder, trying to keep them both calm.

He cast another spell, and just as he got the results, multiple fists starting banging on the door, as the handle was being twisted. "Huh, that certainly took longer than I expected."

"You were expecting security to show up? Why?" Chiho asked worriedly, suddenly less sure about what happens next.

"I busted Kakizaki's face about 30 seconds before I walked in here" he answered absently, heading to the window. He had originally thought to just apparate them back, but the broken window provided an opportunity. "Say Uzume, how would you feel about becoming a Wanted Woman?"

Despite the circumstances, Uzume couldn't hold back the retort. "I'm already a wanted woman, EJ-sama, or have you forgotten already?" she asked teasingly. Chiho smacked her hand in reprimand, but the black-haired Black turned and caught the smirk she was fighting back.

"No, I haven't forgotten, and hope to get some more of it soon" he riposted, wagging his eyebrows. Uzume just laughed, and Chiho held her head in her hands, muttering under her breath. "But no, I meant, how about becoming Wanted for kidnapping Chiho here?"

"Why would I do that?" Uzume asked, humor leaving her voice.

"I told you we were leaving, and we're going to. Now, I could just fix this window and we could literally disappear. Or… Uzume here is seen breaking out of it, and running away in her garb, carrying a dummy of Chiho here."

To Chiho's surprise, Uzume was seriously considering it. She had decided to just go along with whatever at this point, because it was readily apparent that Uzume knew more about EJ than she did, so was trusting her Sekirei. Not that she didn't trust EJ, it's just that he's revealed himself to be capable of things that she was having trouble processing mentally, and her judgement towards him was skewered.

"I don't see why not, it could be fun."

"Excellent!" Harry replied with a clap of his hands, truly smiling finally. If Chiho knew anything about the man, he loved causing chaos. Nothing like causing a little trouble to lighten the soul. Uzume and her had teamed up to prank him a few times, and he'd taken it well, even enjoyed them. He often pranked them back, and Chiho had to admit, some had been quite clever. Though, this new 'magic' he was capable of using certainly explained how some of them were accomplished, as having a sealed Tamp-on suddenly vibrating shortly after use was quite the feat.

"You realize Higa is going to come after you even harder for this, right?" Uzume verbosed, walking to the broken window. She was examining her 'escape route', taking notes of where everything was so she wasn't seen too much.

"After what I did to him last night, and gonna do later today, this is just the cherry on top sweetheart" he parried, looking at his watch. He waved his wand and a life-size imitation of Chiho in her current outfit appeared on the floor next to the door. "Alrighty then, time to go." Uzume moved near the door and picked up the dummy bridal style. "The seal on the door will come down 15 seconds after my mark, count to 12 then make your escape … mark" he declared. Harry waved his wand once more towards the window, then holstered it as he picked up the actual Chiho the same way. With a twist, he disapparated.

* * *

"You have quite the habit of bringing home women, don't you Black-san?" Miya's greeting had him chuckling with a shake of his head.

Harry had apparated him and Chiho to his hotel room. He'd arrived right as Gabby was leaving with the two girls. They hadn't been there when Gabby had appeared the night before, as they had initially been unwilling to accept his offer, but decided to take him up on it around 3 when they'd realized just how tired they actually were and wanted a comfy bed.

So when two people suddenly appeared out of nowhere, they'd brought their weapons to bear. Only Gabby hitting them both with an immobulus stopped their weapons from connecting. Seeing the recognition in their eyes, she released them, and they immediately turned and gawked at her momentarily at realizing she could do the same thing Black had to them the night before.

It was only Ichiya's roaming eyes that caught hold of Chiho, and smacked her partner on the shoulder. That they recognized her shouldn't have surprised Harry, yet it did. It had added yet another puzzle piece to that which was Higa. After some vague trade-offs, he'd taken the leap and explained some of how he knew Uzume was a Sekirei, and the girl her Ashikabi.

At that, they'd in-turn explained that Higa had planned to use her Ashikabi's condition to coerce Uzume into working for him. They went on to admit they wouldn't even have known that at all had Kocho not filled them in on it. Since Kocho wasn't Higa's direct Sekirei, she didn't answer to him, and his orders to keep it quiet didn't apply to her, as Kakizaki didn't deign to repeat them. A clever loophole, Harry had to admit, and his opinion of the stoic-Sekirei went up a bit.

After the trio left, Harry had let Chiho rest for a few hours, as Apparation in her weakened condition was a very bad idea, and probably set her back all of the progress she'd made. Uzume had arrived about an hour after their escape, high on adrenaline. Apparently two of Higa's Sekirei had joined the assault on Chiho's room, and the race had been on once it was opened. It'd taken her almost 45 minutes to lose them, taking them far into the south of the city before they'd encountered someone she called Sanada Nishi and his Sekirei. In the ensuing chaos, she slipped away to a train and disappeared.

She had been eager to work some of the energy off, but Harry had dissuaded her, pointing out Chiho needed her more. She'd pouted, and Harry decided to tease her a bit. He couldn't help but bite her lip, her breath catching as her eyes clouded over, her mind entering a lusty haze. He added onto it, rubbing her center over her clothing a bit to the point where she was panting, before simply turning and walking out the door.

He hadn't returned until nearly half an hour earlier with the Divo to bring Chiho over to Izumo the long way, sparing her even more setbacks. Uzume had harrumphed at him when asked if she'd ride with them, not forgiving him for leaving her on edge like that, and took off in her Sekirei outfit.

"Talk to Gabby if you want some more details, Asama-dono." Miya lifted an eyebrow at the honorific, but smirked at the offer with a shake of her head.

"Which room is Uzume's? Chiho here needs some more rest, and it'd be best she does so where people can constantly check in on her. At least for the next couple days." Miya nodded, indicating to follow her into the house.

"So this is Uzume's Ashikabi, then? She's quite the frail little thing, isn't she?"

"Yeah, combination of over two years of the disease, along with my apparating us out of the hospital room. Unfortunately, it set her back a lot of the progress she's made the past week. But, it was necessary, I'm afraid." He glanced at the young woman. "Plus, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Higa and company may have been dosing her on the sly with something. I'll have to keep an eye on that.

"Another long story, EJ-san?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement of the obvious, but Harry nodded the affirmative nonetheless as Miya opened Uzume's door. Apparently, the flirtatious brunette had not yet returned.

"Yeah. Kagari's statement this morning slotted a bunch of puzzle pieces into place, and I didn't like the picture. Higa was very determined to keep her there. Why, I'm not entirely certain, but I wouldn't hesitate to say it involves controlling Uzume." He laid Chiho down on the bed mat, before pulling out his wand and waving it over her. The mat raised about a foot, and with another wave, a pseudo-boxspring appeared underneath it.

Holstering his wand, he turned to a questioning look by Miya. "She's not strong enough to stand up from the floor just yet. The bottom is temporary until she is. Though, Uzume may roll off the bed a few times until she gets used to it."

"You're assuming they'll be sharing the bed, EJ?" The demon-lady was coming out, as if she highly doubted Uzume would break her rules. While the brunette was certainly afraid of the woman, Harry wasn't foolish to believe it enough to stop her.

"You're assuming they won't? This is her Ashikabi, you're talking about. Her Ashikabi who is too ill to do much without help. And today's events have set her back a week or so. Now, I still don't entirely understand the relationship between the two entities, but Uzume is devoted to Chiho. Short of me tying her down and locking her in my room, you won't keep Uzume from Chiho's side."

Miya stood there pensive for a few moments, both of them staring at the sleeping auburn young woman. "Very well." Harry turned to face the other. "Until Chiho is strong enough to move about on her own, I will permit her staying with Uzume. However…" She stepped closer to Harry, her countenance darkening and Harry got a glimpse of Number 1, former leader of the Discipline Squad. Not that he knew any of that, but he couldn't deny whatever he was seeing what turning him on. "I expect you to be completely honest with me about her progress."

"So long as you do not expect to hear details, and Chiho permits my advising you of such, then I will." Miya kept staring him down, and he met her glare. "You know as well as I do, Doctor Asama, that patient confidentiality does not extend to you, despite putting her up for the night. I will tell you as much as I can if and when it does not violate that, but no more unless Chiho specifically says otherwise. She is still my patient, and I will not violate her trust, even if I did practically kidnap her from the hospital" he added morosely with a humorless chuckle.

While not overly thrilled by his response, Miya could not deny he was right, despite the circumstances, and acquiesced. "As you wish, Doctor Black." With that settled, they both glanced at the sleeping girl once more, then left her to her slumber.

* * *

_At the same time, Higa's office_

_._

With a slight sigh of exhaustion, Higa, absent the dignity he normally composed himself with, collapsed into his office chair, rubbing his left shoulder. Toyotoma and Ichiya were both sporting several cuts and bruises on their faces, let alone the rest of their bodies, and were on their hands and knees, blood dripping onto the polished floor. Watching these events were nearly three dozen people gathered in his large office, most of whom were Sekirei, yet not a one moved to aid the two women.

A piece of the puzzle that EJ hadn't yet figured out, but one the gathered group was all-too-familiar with, was that becoming an Ashikabi had a significant impact on the person's body. Why the kissing? While the reason for that particular act still befuddled the mind - as opposed to, and exclusion of, any other number of possible physical interactions - the act itself was more than a stimulant for the Sekirei: for Ashikabis, it was akin to installing new software to a hard drive, that simultaneously managed to upgrade the hard drive itself.

While the analogy was highly understated - not to mention confusing - it wasn't entirely wrong, as Higa just proved by beating two Sekirei into near-unconsciousness. Two Sekirei that, by all accounts, would and should have normally been more than capable of receiving every ounce of punishment the delicate man was capable of dishing out with nary a mark. Especially as one was a melee fighter.

But that wasn't the case.

Oh no. While Higa was a bishōnen through-and-through, he easily had the strength of five men due to his Sekirei status. That physical strength was further multiplied doubly: first, due to the quantity of Sekirei he had as well, a fact he was not afraid to make use of, as the two Sekirei were experiencing as they used all their strength to just push themselves to their knees. Secondly, because he was an Ashikabi, and had a natural "buff", if you will, against Sekirei.

"So" he began, still rotating the aching shoulder, "not only did you NOT recapture Number 40, but you let her escape with, of all people, Dr Black. AND THEN, subsequently failed to keep track of them or their destination."

"It wasn't tha-"

"SILENCE!" he snarled, that disgustingly handsome face somehow not losing its attractiveness, as Ichiya's mouth closed with an audible *snap* and a groan, the ordered response antagonizing her near-broken jaw. "Further, you let the Guardian deactivate Number 79, then failed to capture him as well. All of this occurring in the span of a few minutes. Do you have any other failures to report?"

Both girls managed to shake their heads, the green-haired one slowly, due to her neck injuries from the beatings. While they would heal over the next couple days, at the moment they were fresh and quite painful.

And for good reason. Higa had, to date, winged the largest number of any Ashikabi, even surpassing Mikogami. The number gathered in the large office was deceptive: Higa may control nearly twenty-five Sekirei, but only fifteen were actually winged by him. Still, every Sekirei winged increased his physical durability and strength, and with fifteen under his belt, he was more than a match for most Sekirei, physically-speaking that is. As he hadn't any single-digits to test his merit against, he could not be certain of just how strong he truly was in comparison. But it was more than enough against Number 16 and 18, both of whom were fighting back their groans of pain.

"It just so happens, your failure provided some interesting insight into new developments occurring in the North" he began, resting his elbows on his desk, leaning forward. "Elsewhere, not long before your failed encounter, the Guardian and another man, one resembling Dr Black, were seen working together at the Botanical Garden."

"How'd they get across town that fast?" more than a few persons muttered.

"If he really does have a Bugatti Divo, it wouldn't surprise me" one of the males gathered iterated. "Them puppies are FAST!"

"Indeed" Higa concurred, drawing the attention back to him. "If he does, in fact, have such a vehicle, then it would lend weight to the argument of how he managed to move from one side of Tokyo to the other in such a minute timeframe. With M.B.I. having purchased the vast majority of Tokyo and turned it into private property, the likelihood of him being stopped by the authorities for excessive speeding is highly diminished, as they have little to no jurisdiction on privately owned lands for civil offenses."

Despite being in great pain, both girls couldn't help but wonder if that was intentionally part of Black's cover story, or a happy circumstance that favored him. Either way, they weren't going to complain if it saved them some additional punishment.

"With this piece of information, and the confirmation that the Guardian was most certainly in both locations, we can safely presume that the Guardian and Dr Black are, at the least, in cohesion, as the Guardian would not have had enough time to race from one location to the other.

"Further is the event that occurred earlier today," he went on, indicating his assistant, Kakizaki, who stood there with an apparatus on his face to correct his nose and jaw, both of which had been broken by Doctor Black's elbow to the face, "we can also safely presume that Dr Black is, too, an Ashikabi." Both girls flinched unbidden at that, but fortunately, only one of the gathered numbers noticed, and her only response was to push up her glasses as she filed that reaction away for later. "While his physical prowess is visible to all, had he been a normal human, he may still have successfully assaulted Kakizaki-san, but would not have caused nearly as much damage: to either him or the building."

Shaking his head, he spun in his chair and leaned back, staring out the window, gazing over the city. "No. Despite your failures, his newly discovered status, as well as his new acquisition, have provided the both of you with sufficient reasoning to avoid further punishment." Both sagged visibly, but he wasn't finished. "For now."

He turned back to them, eyes glaring daggers into them. "The both of you are going to find Dr Black. Neither of you will confront him, as he is an Ashikabi with an unknown number of Sekirei. However…" a shine of sadism crossed his face, as a smirk slowly crept up, "he has a girlfriend that goes with him everywhere." He raised his right hand to shoulder height, and it was instantly filled by a folder provided by Kochou, who was standing behind him. She pushed up her glasses again, then returned to her stoic visage.

Higa plopped the folder on the desk, then slid it in the two girls' direction, both of whom were paling at what they knew was coming. "Her name is Gabrielle Delacour. Her history before the age of 18 is unknown: whether it's successfully been occluded, or her name is an alias, is, aforementioned, unknown. Regardless, the past three years in particular, she is well-documented, and never far from Dr Black." He tapped the folder with his index finger. "You will find her, you will capture her, and you will bring her to me.

"He has insulted me numerous times. He has stolen control of both Number 10 and Number 40 from me. It is time to begin repaying the favor. He will lead us to both Numbers 10 and the Guardian, along with his own Sekirei. With these new additions, we will have reached a sufficient plateau to challenge Number 1 and add her to the collective. At which point, I will take control of this 'Game', and wrench M.B.I. from Minaka's grasp." No one said anything as the monologue continued. This wasn't a new development of any kind, but it was the first that suggested achievement was actually within reach. While Higa respected both the Guardian for his dedication to his duty, and Number 1 for her strength, that didn't mean he didn't covet the both of them.

Standing, he turned back to the window, hands in his pockets. "You will work with Number 13." Inhales and flinches were heard and seen all around, as both women on the floor went white as sheets. "She will be the one to confront Dr Black while the two of you complete your assignment.

"You will not fail me again."

No one said anything as the duo fought against the order. While many saw the shakes and shudders, very few recognized the motions for what they were, and multiple reactions occurred. Reactions that included one who merely pushed her glasses up once more in thought. _'Who is this EJ Black, and what connection have they made with him? Something to keep an eye on: whether as blackmail or my own escape, to be determined.'_

The main man was ignorant of all of this, as he stared out the window deep in his own thoughts. _'On a professional level, I would have granted you a reprieve, Dr Black, for your actions against me regarding Miss Hidaka. At least, until the Sekirei Game had concluded. But now… not only are you a participant, but you've made it personal. And as such, I cannot let such actions stand._

_'You will learn your place, learn when to respect your superiors, or see yourself removed. Permanently.'_


	7. I am Anonymous

**A/N: Sorry for multiple updates. Changed cover info, changed title of the chapter, and realized an error in the chapter itself after posting. Sorry!**

**Still not British or Japanese.**

* * *

_April 18, 2020_

_Saturday_

_Downtown Tokyo_

_._

The week following Chiho's escape was quite mellow in comparison. At least for Harry Potter and company. None of Izumo's resident's were aware of what had occurred in Higa's office, nor of the hunt that had ensued. Nor were any particularly concerned, either. They'd seen nor heard neither hide nor hair of anyone from the East, and were content to leave things be. Harry did have the occasional stray thought it was _too_ quiet, but wasn't going to complain about some peace.

Kusano, or Ku, as everyone had taken to calling her, had quickly wormed her way into everyone's heart. Even Harry had been surprised at how much he smiled when she was around, and took plenty of time to play with her. This endeared him quite heavily to Miya, who had pseudo-adopted the girl. Uzume had started a betting pool on when Ku would wing herself to Minato, and had been nearly scared shitless when Miya called her out on it, before placing her own bet with a slight chuckle.

Chiho was regaining her strength again quickly. Harry had been correct in assuming there were some "additions" included in her meals and IV bags, and had quickly flushed those out of her system. What really rocked the boat was how, in just over a week's time, again with some potion help, she was managing to walk from her room to the washroom on crutches slowly. Very, very slowly. But that she was able to do it so quickly surprised everyone: not the least of which was EJ. While being a squib made the potions themselves more effective, as opposed to being a NOMA, the rate of recovery was remarkable even still. He absently wondered if being an Ashikabi had anything to do with it, but certainly wasn't going to complain. The downside - at least, according to Chiho and Uzume - being that just the night before, Miya had assigned her a room of her own, much to the two women's chagrin.

Harry and Gabby had moved out the previous Sunday: vacating both the hotel and Izumo not that they'd actually moved in. They'd later learn how fortunate their timing was in leaving the penthouse early. The place they'd bought was conveniently only a block away, and the Yokai - one of several long-time rivals of the Goblins - had told them it was fully warded. He had to hand it to the strange race, they certainly rivaled the Goblins in warding, as there'd been a few wards he himself didn't even recognize. No wonder the Goblins had so much difficulty expanding into Asia.

Having done so, they'd offered Chiho and Uzume room and board. They'd initially accepted, but Miya countered with the knowledge Chiho would have a larger support base at Izumo. Even Harry couldn't deny the truth of that. Besides, it wasn't as if they wouldn't be at Izumo more often than not. After much discussion, it was agreed that if Izumo reached capacity, overflow could start going to their new place as a safehouse.

Also in the meantime, Harry had officially met Seo, and learned how to spell his name. Apparently Seo was an old friend of Takehito's, and was every bit the lazy bum Harry pegged him as. That he'd met the man while he was coming to bum food was a prime example, and that his two Sekirei had to drag him away, whilst heavy 20 kilo of rice apiece, added to it.

The only real downside of the week for the green-eyed doctor had been Shi. While grateful to Harry for rescuing her, she was near-deathly afraid of him. The wizard reasoned being abruptly kidnapped, even for her own sake, likely had a hand in that opinion. Anytime he'd enter the room, she'd freeze and duck behind someone, usually Kagari or Miya. Sometimes even Minato, much to the smaller man's surprise.

Being unwinged, she had admitted to Gabby that she knew Harry was an Ashikabi, as a small part of her wanted him to wing her. But that was mostly out of gratitude than personal desire. She'd further confessed that it was Minato who she wanted, but was afraid to make that commitment, thinking it insulting to the one who rescued her. In one of the few actual conversations they managed to have, with both Miya and Gabby there as buffers, Harry gently refused her small desire to be his Sekirei, saying, "such a long-term commitment should be of your own free will, not as repayment or obligation. I am honored by the consideration, but I must decline."

It did surprise all that the small Sekirei, in a sporadic bout of courage, leapt over and hugged him profusely, repeating "thank you thank you thank you." It was several moments, after he managed to overcome his surprise and gently hug her back, before she regained her composure. And, with a cute squeak, bolted from the room, and right into Minato who'd been happening by. The collision was adorable between the two young and awkward teens, before their respective embarrassments at the predicament sent them both running in opposite directions. It was no surprise to Harry that Minato's overt kindness, and much less abrasive personality, was winning her over. Not to mention the adorable interactions such as what he'd just witnessed, and so began another betting pool for the knife-thrower. After the trio stopped their laughter, that was.

But as with all good things, the peace was bound to come to an end. And that end began with a young woman and young man absently careening into each other.

Harry and Gabby had been out wandering around, exploring for the most part. The week had been fun, crazy, interesting, and more than a little frustrating. The ritual to return Harry's memory had failed them, somehow. They checked, double checked, triple checked, even went to Japan's version of Diagon Alley in Osaka: though why there wasn't one in Tokyo confused both of them. They'd bought a book on rituals in Japanese and had Miya AND Chiho translate for them, just in case. Still nothing.

So, they resigned to it just coming back normally. Harry kept thinking he was overlooking something, but every time he thought he had it, it slipped away. The madness was getting to him, to both of them, which was why'd they taken to long walks through the city.

On this particular day, they were wandering around and had just glimpsed a young, black-haired woman crash into an even younger-looking silver-haired man. The bonded couple had taken notice, as the guy's silver hair was remarkably similar to Kagari's. They were about to move over and question them when two women suddenly landed on the rooftop near the observed duo. Both Harry and Gabby instantly recognized Akitsu, and took off running as the other woman's whip cracked the pavement where the young, new couple had just vacated, and were sprinting down the street with surprising speed.

To their surprise, Kagari showed up, from where neither knew, and was having a conversation/ argument with the whip-carrying woman. They slowed to a walk as they approached.

"Even though we lost Number 107, maybe we should just take you instead" the girl voiced, cracking her whip and wrapping it around Kagari. Laughing in victory, she turned towards them. "And what do you two want? Get out of here before you get hurt!"

"Before _we_ get hurt?" Gabby scoffed. "Please little girl, you may as well surrender now if you want to walk away from here in one piece."

"How dare you threaten me! Don't you know who I am?"

"A little prepubescent child with entitlement issues? Please, nothing about you scares me."

"I am Number 38, Mizuha! And I will collect as many Sekirei as I can for my Master!"

"_**Didn't I already tell you?"**_ Kagari interrupted, the air around him heating up. "_**You can't beat me!"**_ His whole body caught aflame, and the whip was turned to ash.

Gabby was openly gawking at the man, her eyes alight in amazement as she stepped towards him, entranced by the flames. Harry just smiled, watching as his bond-mate's feathers slowly covered her arm as it entered the flames.

Homura hadn't initially realize EJ and Gabby were there until she was practically next to him. He had been distracted by Number 38, Mitsuha if he wasn't mistaken. It wasn't until he had flash-burned the whip off of him that Gabby's presence next to him was known. He had widened his eyes in alarm as she stretched her arm out, then in shock when she began _playing_ with the fire, even holding some of it in her hand.

And if that didn't shock him, as he felt his heart racing faster in excitement, her outstretched arm was growing _feathers_! He had been reacting to Minato on a low-level basis since he moved in. It got worse since meeting EJ, and discovering he already had a Sekirei. Then Minato winged Musubi, and the reactions got worse. But, they were males. Despite both of them having good qualities, and some bad, they were _male!_

But, here was his dream, a _woman_ that he was reacting too. More so, a woman that was enchanted by his fire, and wasn't getting burned by them! He didn't know what to make of it, and was completely distracted by this woman, until she suddenly tackled him to the ground.

He was stunned for a moment as to why, until the sound of a whip's *crack* reached his ears. The asphalt where he'd been standing was broken, and he looked up to see the woman still on the roof holding another whip. '_Spatial compression is a bitch sometimes. Who knows how many whips she has on her.' _He became very aware of the woman on top of him, as she was slowly grinding against him, despite the circumstances.

Or because of the circumstances, he amended. He didn't know EJ very well, but he'd demonstrated enjoying trouble and chaos to psychologically disturbing degrees, and it was not a stretch that the woman on top of him did as well. '_OH SHIT! EJ! FUCK! She's with EJ BLACK!' _The fire-user couldn't believe his luck, finding an Ashikabi who was with another man. So caught up in his inner turmoil, he missed the woman's second attack, that resulted in wrapping Gabby up in the whip this time.

Surprising both Sekirei, Gabby just laughed.

"What the hell is so funny, you puny pathetic human! You're interfering with my mission! I'm going to eliminate you!"

"How?" Gabby shouted at her, still slowly grinding Homura, much to his frustration. "You think this sorry excuse for a tie-down is enough to… what? Please. EJ-sama ties me up soooo much better than this! You're just a sexually repressed teenager with a fetish she's unable to capitalize on, so takes it out on unwilling victims."

This little diatribe was clearly working the girl up, and likely hitting home as she got more and more angry, even jumping up and down in a tantrum. "Shut up shut up shut UP!" she shouted the last, pulling on the whip, tightening the slack. This proved to be a mistake, as Gabby grabbed the whip with her free hand that neither Sekirei had noticed, and yanked back, pulling her off the roof in surprise.

With the slack that provided, it fell to the ground around her feet, and Homura had the unexpected imagery of her clothes doing the same, and had to fight back his own physical reaction to such. Gabby bent over and picked up the whip, rolling it up in her hands as she stood up before putting it in a pocket. Homura was still on the ground, and was again surprised as the pocket didn't bulge. '_More spatial compression! What the hell! Does she work for M.B.I.? No. Not likely. Especially with how much EJ seems to hate them. But… how? No. What if spatial compression is actually the result of magic? What if M.B.I. employs people able to do magic? But…" _His inner monologue was cut off, as the golden blonde girl pulled out yet another whip, and was currently going Indiana Jones on Gabby, with little success. The lithe silvery blonde woman was dodging each lash with not much more than manipulating her torso, taking a step forward with each failed attack.

Screeching in anger, Mitsuha pulled out a fourth whip from under her skirt, double wielding them and with both, lashed out. Gabby just smirked, letting them wrap her up, arms and all.

"AHA! Get out of that you pathetic human! Now, stay there like a good girl while I capture Number 6 here." She stepped forward, holding both ends of the whip, tugging on them to ensure they were tight. While Homura was trying to look bored with the girl, but kept sending glances towards the other blonde, said blonde just began cackling.

"Oh you are a_dorable!_" she mocked, shaking her head at the blue-eyed blonde. '_OOH! Blue eyes AND blonde! Wonder if I should bring her home for Harry?'_ "Once again, you think this is enough to capture ME? Puh-leeease!"

Number 38 was mixed between angry and confused, that this _human_ was mocking her, _her!_, yet was still captured. "And how exactly does a weakling like yourself plan on escaping, huh? There's no one around that's going to help you."

"Mon dieu, c'est chiant. That's where you're wrong, _child_. I don't need my mate's help. He is busy with your partner up there. Hopefully _really_ busy" she added with a waggle of her eyebrows. The black and yellow-dressed girl was confused for a moment, before red creeped up her face.

"Why... you… SLUT!" she screeched through her loss of words. Gabby couldn't help but laugh.

"Only when my master lets me be!" She added a shake of her butt to the statement, accented by being wrapped up by the whips that stopped conveniently at her waist-line. Even Homura was red in the face at that, his heart racing at the girl's open sexuality. "But, let's get on with this. All this excitement is making me horny, and I need to get him home so he can fuck my brains out."

"You're still my prisoner! I'm not going to just free you!" she screeched, pulling on the whips hard. To both her and Homura's surprise, Gabby jumped in the air. The ensuing tug pulled her as she flipped her body, and double kicked the woman in the chest, sending her somersaulting backwards. Gabby herself landed on her butt and back, then kicked-up and landed back on her feet.

"Word to the wise, kiddo" the Veela admonished, walking towards the girl who was slowly getting to her feet. "If you're going to wrap someone up to incapacitate them, get their legs as well. So they can't do THIS!" she nearly yelled the last, spinning and kicking the young Sekirei in the face with the back of her foot.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" the younger girl screeched charging at Gabby. The woman braced herself, and both went rolling as Gabby was tackled. The tied-up girl pulled her knees to her chest, and pushed the Sekirei off of her. "So, you wanna fight, then?"

"I'm going to kill you!" she screeched, pulling out two more whips.

"Oh, you've got more? In that case..." Gabby shifted, her body transforming into the Elven-esque Harpy her people were suggested to have descended from. Her feet became talons, her hands that with only three digits, but several inch claws protruding from both. Homura froze, having gotten into a crouching position as he was standing up, watching the transformation with fascination. Every inch of skin visible had feathers of some sort covering it. At least he thought they were feathers, he couldn't be sure.

But that was nothing compared to what happened next, as her hands were suddenly alight. The fireballs were slowly circling the young woman's body, her fingers rotating as if juggling them before they became a solid ring of fire around her. "...You won't be needing these!" The ring of fire encased her like a cocoon, and when it dissipated, Gabby was standing there, a pile of ash at her feet, with a look of a predator staring down her prey.

And prey, the teenager was, as she quickly realized, before turning and high-tailing it down the street. Unfortunately for her, the transformed woman had impeccable aim with her fireballs, as one smacked in her the back of the head, and another between her shoulder blades, before a third hit her feet, sending her face-planting into the ground.

Another moment later, the girl had a body on her, holding her arms behind her and tying her up. Initially surprised, she started struggling too late, recognizing that her own whip had been used to bind her arms. She started screaming, but was suddenly gagged by a cloth being stuffed into her mouth. Her legs summarily followed, tying her at the ankles, then tying ankles and wrists together.

Gabby, still high on adrenaline, picked up the girl by the whips holding her together, and carried her like a rucksack over her shoulder, skipping back to where Homura was still blinking owlishly at her. She dropped her cargo, before dragging Homura into a scorching kiss, then grinded against him with a wink.

Turning around and looking up at the roof where she saw Harry and Akitsu still talking, she frowned at the lack of action before molting, returning to her normal self. She plopped down on Cargo's back, and made herself comfy in the crook of the girl's tied up arms.

.

* * *

"Well, well, Akitsu. We meet again." While the whip-wielder was distracted by Gabby and Homura, Harry had apparated behind the duo on the roof. The stoic woman merely turned, completely unsurprised and un-phased by his sudden emergence behind her.

"Greetings, Potter. You appear to be well." Inwardly he winced. No honorific, no familiarity, he truly had fallen far in her eyes. Once again, he couldn't blame her: a decade-absent Ashikabi he had been, and even upon reemerging in Japan he'd not sought her out. He knew he had good reason for it, but it didn't diminish the scorn she must've felt.

"Greetings, Akitsu. I am well, thank you. I am also glad to see you are well. It is unfortunate that we must meet again under these circumstances.

"My Ashikabi has tasked me with capturing un-winged Sekirei. I aim to complete that task" she responded. "You are merely an obstacle that must be overcome or eliminated. As well as your lady-friend" she added, absently pointing towards Gabby. Neither looked, but both could hear the sounds of the fight going on, and the whip-woman's loud screeches of frustration.

"You will not touch Gabby, Akitsu. She is no danger to you, so you will leave her out of it."

"I will do what I must to fulfill my Ashikabi's objective" she responded, still in that emotionless monotone. "Maybe I will capture her as well."

"She is not a toy to merely be collected. Nor is she a creature. She's a human being, just like you. Saying you're going to 'collect' Sekirei or 'capture' my bond-mate demeans them, and I'll not have it."

At hearing him refer to Gabby as his bond-mate, she raised an eyebrow. "I see. So, I was not good enough as your Sekirei, so you replaced me with another. Then I suppose I shall simply eliminate her entirely to demonstrate how much of a lesser being she is than I."

Harry just shook his head. "I did not 'replace' you, Akitsu. Until we ran into each other at the park, I didn't even remember you."

"So not only was I not good enough, I was not even worth remembering? I see. That is why you abandoned me. I shall endeavor not to be so easily forgotten or ignored by my Ashikabi "

"I would greatly appreciate if you stopped putting words in my mouth, Akitsu. I said none of those things. That I didn't remember you was outside of my control." She didn't answer, but he could feel the temperature in the immediate area dropping. "How much do you remember about me from 10 years ago, Akitsu?"

"Everything, Potter. Everything. Every conversation, every moment we spent together; sometimes just the two of us, sometimes with Yume as well, I remember every second of it, Potter."

"So you remember that I am able to do magic, then, right?"

"I believe I just said as much, Potter."

"Then you should know that magic is capable of many things, Akitsu. Including the ability to manipulate memories."

"Ah. So you used this 'magic' of yours to remove your memories of me. So it was not simply I was forgettable, but you were so repulsed that you intentionally forgot me. If this is your attempt at reacquainting, then I must insist you desist from this action."

"Maybe if you stopped jumping to ill-conceived conclusions, Akitsu, we'd arrive to my point." She said nothing, nor reacted in any physical way, so he continued. "I did not intentionally or unintentionally forget you, Akitsu. Truth in fact, I've been slowly remembering you, Yume, and anyone else I interacted with those two weeks. The people I worked for at the time, Monarch, removed my memory of the visit. Why? I do not know. The night we last saw each other, I contacted my former superior after you left. He refused to tell me what all they did to me, nor why they did it. Since then, Gabby and I have tried half a dozen rituals to return the memories to me, or remove the blocks, but nothing has worked.

"More importantly, just standing here talking with you, I've remembered a few more things about you: I remember your favorite color, Lilac. Jasmine tea with two teaspoons of honey and one splash of buttermilk is your favorite drink, though you were fond of the Mountain Dew and Peanut M&Ms combination I introduced you to. I snuck you out of the lab the second night we met, and took you to a pizza place, where we had one with steak and shrimp on it, a first combination for me, and the first pizza for you."

Throughout the monologue, Akitsu stood there, stoic as always, hands clasped before her. But, if one were to look at her eyes, closely, they could see a slight softening of them as she was pulled into the memories with the man standing across from her.

Said man looked down and shook his head. "We kissed the first time that night as well. You went to kiss my cheek and I turned to say something, and we connected. I remember falling out of chair I was in: from both your wings sprouting and surprise at being kissed. I remember apologizing to you nearly a dozen times, and almost left you at the restaurant because I'd kissed someone who wasn't Yume."

He kicked an imaginary rock on the ground, a slight smile on his face at the remembrance. "I'd made it nearly two blocks full sprint before I realized just how much trouble I'd be in for leaving you behind. Then I spent another hour apologizing for THAT." He looked up at the woman, taking a step forward. "I remember Yume nearly crushing me to death in happiness that I'd winged you, and I spent the entire next day pinching myself that me, the scrawny, emotionally damaged, 15 year old boy, had TWO beautiful, older women eager to kiss me as often as I wanted.

"I remember, Akitsu. And it's thanks to you that I do." He took another step forward towards the still- stalwart woman. "Bits and pieces come and go, but the longer I'm around you, the more about you I'm remembering." He stepped forward again, and was now within arm's reach of her. "I made you a promise I had every intention of keeping. I failed to keep it, I admit. And though the memory of it was taken from me, I failed to do enough to return to you." He stepped forward again, reaching out to caress her hands, looking down at them, deep in thought before meeting her eyes.

"I failed you, Akitsu. Badly. I failed Yume, equally as badly. She has been imprisoned for a decade due to my failure. You were left alone, due to my failure." He brought the clasped hands to his lips, kissing them before lowering them, but not releasing them. "No one in their right mind would blame you for what you did. I cannot imagine the pain you went through being so alone. I also cannot apologize enough, nor could I. There aren't enough words to express how sorry I am. You entrusted me with your heart and I broke it." He took a deep breath, not realizing until that moment just how much the past week had been weighing down on him. And as he kept talking, the full gravity of the past decade was catching up to him in regards to the two Sekirei he'd bonded to all those years ago.

"I would love to just blame it all on my being an ignorant and naive 15 year old, one being hounded by my own problems, one unable and unwilling to fight back against the system he had sworn to obey and protect. It would be so easy. But I won't. I messed up. Even without my memories, I knew something was missing, that some parts of the story I'd been told didn't add up. I knew someone was looking for me, the rumors had reached my ears of a beautiful woman seeking me out. But, once again, I failed. I let the environment I was subjected to dissuade me from following my instincts. I chose the easy way out, putting it all behind me so I could focus only on what I was doing."

He rubbed his thumb over the woman's hands, debating on how much he should reveal to her when they were on such tentative speaking terms. Part of him wanted to reveal everything, try to win her over with the truth. But, despite their past, and how dedicated she was to him, it did only last two weeks. And while he had an understanding of the bond between Sekirei and Ashikabi, she had already told him she'd broken it, so there was no guarantee anything he said now would be kept secret.

Everything in him was practically screaming to just grab her and run. But he didn't. He couldn't. He needed her to come back willingly, of her own volition. Something inside him told him that was a terrible idea, that nobility wouldn't work in this case, that it wasn't the correct approach, but he shoved it down. After leaving her for nearly a decade, what right did he have to waltz back into her life as if nothing had changed? So he relented, and with a deep sigh made his decision.

"Are you happy with your Ashikabi?" Once again, he was viewer to the sheer absence of emotion, as the segue didn't even faze the woman.

"I am pleased that I was accepted anywhere, being a discarded number" she answered in that grating monotone. "Mikogami-sama asked me to join him, and I accepted, because no one else wanted me. I was condemned to wander alone until the end of the Game, but Mikogami-sama wanted me. He gave me a purpose, somewhere to belong to."

"You didn't answer my question, Akitsu" Harry replied, hopefully the jealousy he was feeling was not prevalent in his voice.

"I have answered it as much as I am going to at this time, Potter-shi." Harry took a step back at being addressed as such, releasing her hands as he did. He'd not have felt worse or more surprised if she'd smacked him in the face with a sledgehammer. The absence of an honorific would've been preferable. She turned and glanced at the ground, where Gabby was sitting on her partner for the day, who was hogtied at the moment. "It would appear our attempt at capturing 107 has failed, as has the subsequent attempt at capturing Number 6." She turned back towards the Potter scion, who was still reeling. "Thus, our conversation is at an end. My Ashikabi will not be happy that you have interfered yet again."

She started walking past Harry, who suddenly awoke from his daze and grabbed her hand. "Wait… please." Akitsu didn't look at him, but remained still nonetheless. "As I said before, there aren't enough words for how sorry I am. I…" It was not often that words failed Harry, especially when talking to women. It was even less often he was on the groveling end of it. But he found himself struggling now, and was nearing just collapsing to his knees and begging her forgiveness.

He could beg her with words, bribe her with being able to reverse whatever they did to her. Give her back her empathic abilities. He could do just about anything she wanted. But what value would any of it have, if it wasn't what _she _wanted? "_**Anyway, my mum always said things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect."**_ Luna's voice echoed in his head, and he felt himself releasing his hold on the woman's hand.

"Be careful, Akitsu" He finally muttered, feeling the emotions catching up to him. She turned her head slightly towards him. "Despite what you think and feel about me, and I deserve it all, I do care about you. Please, be careful."

She considered him for a few moments. Neither moved, neither spoke, it wasn't even certain either were breathing. Until she nodded her head slightly. "Until we meet again, Potter-san." He closed his eyes, a small trickle of tears squeezing out as she jumped away.

.

* * *

_April 19, 2020_

_Secret Room, Izumo Inn_

_0100_

_._

"107 found, eh? By Sahashi's sister, no less. He'll be surprised when he finds out. I can't believe he's managed to avoid Ku so long from winging her. Miya certainly doing her best to win the bet, hehehe." Fingers fly across a keyboard as a few images pop up on a collection of monitors.

"Sahashi Minato, age 19. Birthday, September 15, 2000. Failed the Tokyo U entrance exams twice, though was second in his class in high school. School counselor suggests he has Test Anxiety, directly contributing to his failing to make valedictorian.

"Winged Number 88 Musubi, who is currently sharing her body with Number 8 Yume, which is… for another time to consider. Chosen Sekirei by Number 108 Kusano, and if the collective observations are to be believed, also the chosen Sekirei of Number 40: Shi. Younger sister Sahashi Yukari likely to wing 107, if her googly eyes towards the pretty boy are any indication.

"Father, unknown, though I've a suspicion. Mother is… yeah. If he's going to be surprised at his sister's involvement, wait until he finds out his own mother's involvement. Known family total of four members: sister, mother, grandmother and himself. No mention nor assistance from father in any medical history.

"Overall observation? General nice guy, passive personality, kind-hearted, highly intelligent but succumbs to pressure and insecurity. Inferiority complex towards strong women. Physically speaking, he is slender but not pencil-then, messy black hair and soft eyes, your general cute wimp that you just wanna hold and protect. Despite everything going against him, he is highly protective of those close to him. And, while generally unremarkable, I can't deny that I'm reacting to him.

"However…"

Several more keystrokes, and another four screens displayed information on another person.

"You, I'm reacting to heavily, you green-eyed adonis.

"Doctor Evan James Black. Age 24, birthday July 31, 1995. Parents, unknown. No record of him before July 2005. Put up for adoption by unknown parties. Adopted by parties under false aliases that were summarily destroyed the next day, until formally and publicly adopted by his godfather Sirius Orion Black in May 2008. Rumored to have been associated with Monarch, but unconfirmed. Sirius Black deceased June 2012. Cause unknown. EJ Black assumed to have received entirety of inheritance, no known benefactors from godfather's passing. Hmm...

"Hacking into Monarch remains a low priority due to lack of necessity or known activity in Japan, or Eastern Asia in general." The figure picked up an old-school tape recorder. "Note to self: re-evaluate Monarch threat assessment, and any potential connections to current events." She returned it to her bosom and continued on.

"Homeschooled, received his Bachelor's at the age of 17, fast-tracked through Medical school, focus on virology and epidemiology, multiple Doctorates at age 20 and opened his own practice at age 21 as a concierge doctor.

"Married to… wait, married? …one, Daphne Greengrass of Wales in May, 2015. Wife died… oh shit… in childbirth, Halloween night, 2016. News outlets say hospital was attacked by terrorists, and hospital reports say Daphne Black, who was visiting for a checkup, went into premature labor as a result. Neither the wife nor child survived.

"Black disappears from public eye for several months, seen only when travelling for work. Took no new cases until August 2018, when contacted by Hidaka Maru, and wife Hidaka Sanyu. That brought him to Japan to first meeting our third resident Ashikabi, Hidaka Chiho. Surprisingly, I am not reacting to her at all. I suppose that reaffirms my primary attraction to males, with a passing interest in females. Something to think about later.

"Digressing, current beau Gabrielle Delacour, daughter of Sebastien and Apolline Delacour, aristocrats in the French government. Sebastien has declined running for minister four times despite party pressure. A magazine article from 2018 stated they had known each other for 9 years at that point, suggesting they met when Black was only 13 or 14, and got together early 2018. Hmm, something to look into, possibly? Both were seen fornicating in the French Riviera May 2018 with Julia Rajoy, daughter of the Spanish Prime Minister. Ooh, you really do like the high class ladies, don't you? The association rumored to have led to the Vote of No Confidence, resulting in the Minister's removal from office. Ouch, sorry pal. Oh, I take that back. Somewhat. Rajoy had publicly _claimed_ to be his illegitimate daughter, but was later discovered to be… well, that's an ugly mess. Sorry, not sorry Minister, you're still a sleazeball. Wonder if they've recovered all that money yet? They never did determine how much, maybe I should find the rest and re-appropriate it? Hmm…" she added further instructions to her recorder before returning to her screen, "something else to think about.

"So, Doctor Black, you've a lot of pictures and information since 2013. With the exception of your University enrollment, of which all classes were done remotely, there's almost no record of you before then. Heck, none at all before your adoption. Where did you come from, Mystery Man? Who are you really? AND HOW THE HELL ARE YOU PREVENTING ME FROM LISTENING TO YOUR CONVERSATIONS!?"

The short-burst temper tantrum resulted in her frustration being mirrored digitally by all her screens, as eight copies of her digital self were pulling their hair out as well.

"AHGHGHGH! What is he doing to my network? Both he and this Delacour girl keep preventing me from listening in. Cameras and mic's keep shorting out, or just picking up a buzzing sound. Does it have to do with that little stick that the French bird pulled out from her sleeve before my cameras go blind? It has to be magic. I've never thought magic was actually real, but after what she showed Miya before Black woke up, I am forced to admit magic is real. Which only brings up more questions.

"And speaking of the bird…" she settled down, more keystrokes as an ATM camera feed came up, showing Gabby turning into the bird-like being the day before. "There is even less information about you except that which is associated with Mr Black or your father. I was lucky to even find this footage, and after a dozen programs to clean it up, I _still_ can't get it any better. If it wasn't for Doctor Black being there, I'd have thought it was just another Sekirei. Wonder what happened to Homura? He's been locked up in his room ever since they returned. The Frenchie didn't wing him, so what's the problem? A failed winging? Is that even possible?

"Gahhh…" she droned whiningly. "I already hate magic. It's illogical. Being able to create things from nothing? That breaks the laws of physics in so many ways. And the other things she mentioned, like transforming one thing into another? And potions? Alchemy, transmutation, next you're going to tell me werewolves and vampires are real too." She suddenly straightened up in a panic. "BAD MATSU BAD! You just jinxed yourself. Though… a dragon would be pretty neat to see. I wonder if cerberuses… cerberi?... are real. Or chimaeras? Maybe a sphinx! Hmmm… this requires more investigation. The problem is, if we accept that what she is saying is true, and magic is real, then it is highly unlikely they're the only two magic-users on the planet.

"Extrapolating from there, it would not be illogical to assume that an entire magical community exists. It does call into question how many 'magicians' are actually magical and using showmanship as a cover. It would be fairly clever of them. That being said, if a community does exist, if it is large enough, a government would exist as well. All this alludes to a secret society that has lived in the shadows for years, centuries even.

"Suddenly, the witch hunts of old have a lot more weight to them. But, if any are as capable as these two, it is unlikely that any actual witches were caught. But, that's a theory for another time.

"Whatever's going on with those two, I need to get to the bottom of it. Besides…" and an evil smile appeared, her glass eyes glinting over, "they're both so open about their sexuality, they'd be perfect for some experiments, heh heh heh." She began drooling, losing herself in her imagination as hands slid down her bodice.'

.

* * *

_1330_

.

"What's this talk about ghosts?" Harry and Gabby had come over, loaded up with food, deciding to treat Izumo Inn to lunch. Miya was particularly surprised by it, but relinquished them the kitchen. She was hardly going to turn down a free meal, especially when she found herself slightly drooling by the smells. She was quick to wipe it away, but Harry's knowing smirk suggested he didn't miss it.

They were placing the dishes on the table when the topic of ghosts had come up. Ku had seemed particularly concerned about it, and was refusing to leave Minato's lap.

"Ku-chan left her room last night, and apparently saw a ghost" Miya provided, laughing gently. "I found her in the room of Sahashi-san, and I thought he took her and was having her evil way with her." She tittered at that, while Minato was giving fire trucks a run for their money in how red he was in embarrassment.

"It wasn't like that, Miya-san!" he shouted, waving his hands in front of him. "She was so scared! I went looking for it, but I didn't find anything."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a widdle ghost, Ku-tan" Harry stuck his lip out at her, and she stood up right quick, hands on her hips.

"I am not LITTLE!" She charged Harry, who pretended to fall over at being tackled. "I'll show you little, EJ-EEEK!" Her adorable, childish rant was cut off by EJ's sudden tickling of her, and she was shrieking in laughter as she fought to get away. There were smiles all around.

A few minutes later as they settled down, Ku plopped herself in Black's lap, dragging her bowl over to her. Minato turned a questioning eye towards him, and Harry just shrugged, both missing the knowing looks between the girls.

"So tell me, Ku-chan, what did this ghost look like?"

She had a spoonful of food in her mouth, and became pensive while she chewed. "Well… she was an Onii-san with long, hair. It was too dark to see what color it was, but it looked like two branches hanging down the front." Harry turned a confused glance towards Gabby and Uzume. The blonde pulled a handful of hair together to her chest, twisting it and mouthed "_braid"_ to him in English, to which Harry "o'ed" silently and turned back towards the girl, who was still thinking.

"She also had glasses, and a creepy smile. And wore a long dress to her ankles." Uzume had a lightbulb moment that Miya quickly cut off with her demon look.

"Ahh! That must be…"

"Uzume-san…"

"NOPE! No one I know! Heh heh heh." She backpedaled quickly, earning a chuckle from her Ashikabi and Gabby who were next to her. Harry raised a questioning eyebrow towards the landlady, and flicked his eyes up towards the unaccounted for area. Miya merely smiled, turning her attention to Minato.

"How can there be a ghost here? There's little chance something like that will show itself here."

"Ah heh heh yeah… she must've been dreaming" Minato agreed weakly, succumbing to the demonic allure. Harry had to purse his lips to keep from laughing.

"You know, Ku-chan, ghosts aren't really that scary."

"What do you mean, EJ-sama? The ghost I saw last night was REALLY scary."

"Was she really scary, or were you just surprised to see them?"

"Well… I guess I was surprised… I didn't know who she was. And it was dark out."

"Probably was just someone playing a mean prank, Ku-chan" he added, squeezing the girl lightly to his chest. "I promise you, there are no ghosts here in Izumo. I checked."

She turned and looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Are you sure? Who was she last night, then?"

"You're a stubborn little bug aren't you" he chuckled, kissing her forehead. "I'm sure whoever that was will introduce themselves when the time is right."

"If you say so…"

"Tell you what, I'm going to give you a special necklace." He pulled out a necklace from his pocket, a small pendant with a purple orchid on it. Her eyes lit up. "This is a safety necklace. Wear this at all times. If you ever feel scared, and Minato isn't around, press this button on the back." He flipped it over and showed a small, green lightning bolt. "It'll send a signal to me, and I'll come right to where you are."

"Really?" she looked at it in fascination.

"Really" he reassured. "Here, ask Minato to help you put it on you."

"Why can't you do it, EJ-sama?"

"Cause Minato is your big brother, remember? And I'm hungry. And I think my leg fell asleep from your big butt sitting on it" he teased, tickling her as she shrieked, scrambling away to Minato, hiding behind him as Harry slowly leaned towards her with his hands outstretched, growling playfully at her.

"Save me, Onii-san! He's gonna get me!"

"We better put on that safety necklace then really quick" he immediately responded, the big brother coming out in him. Her eyes lit up, her young mind having almost forgotten the necklace in her hand. She handed it to him, and he put it on her, closing the clasp.

Harry blinked a few times before holding both hands to his head. "Nooo!" he called out dramatically, falling over on his back. "She's wearing a safety necklace! I can't get to her!" The girls were all giggling at his antics, and Ku had buried her head in Minato's shoulder, holding the necklace in her hand. Even Miya had a smile on, shaking her head slightly.

"Oh, Kagari, glad you could join us." Miya's sudden comment had all turning towards the doorway, where the young man was entering. His hands were bandaged, and he was avidly looking anywhere but at the four Ashikabis present. While this didn't really faze Harry, it was the very wide berth he gave Gabby and Chiho, walking the long way around the table, that confused him. He wasn't the only one, as the Landlady had a pensive look on her face as well, even turning and looking at the blonde and redhead. The two of them exchanged a curious glance, having a silent conversation that ended with Black turning a wondering look at his bond-mate, who was conversing with Chiho and Uzume, while tapping his fingers on the table.

Miya, however, was looking at Kagari, who'd taken his normal place next to her, across from Harry, the two men flanking the landlady. Miya almost smirked when Kagari met her eyes, and blushed at the triumphant understanding in the elder woman's eyes before averting his own and eating with gusto.

"Y'know, Kagari…" The sudden addressing had the man jumping in surprise. Asama and Potter stifled their smirks, not looking at each other for fear of laughter. After clearing his throat softly, Harry tried again. "Y'know, if those are burn wounds, I can heal them for you."

"That's alright, Black-san. It was just an accident."

"Accident or not, it's no trouble. I've a potion and a salve that'll have them healed up by the day's end."

"No, really, it's nothing."

"That's awfully generous of Doctor Black, Kagari-san. Why don't you two take care of that after lunch?" The betrayed look on Kagari's face nearly had Harry bursting out in laughter, but managed, barely, but managed to keep his professional exterior. "From my understanding, burn wounds can be quite serious. Since Doctor Black has offered to look at you, it is only prudent his assistant Gabrielle aids him in the wound treatment. Wouldn't you agree, Doctor Black?" She turned that sweet smile towards him, but her eyes were dancing with mischievous laughter. Harry was quickly storing all his own laughter into an inner vault so he could release it all at a safe location while appropriating the professional facade.

"Of course you are correct, Doctor Asama. Burns can be quite tricky indeed if not properly looked at in a timely manner. She would be happy to assist me."

"Excellent! Until then, let us return to this wonderful meal. I must give my thanks and appreciation, it is truly delicious." The rest of the meal continued in peace. Musubi asked Miya to train with her, and Kusano elected herself and Minato to watch. Uzume and Chiho decided to join them in observation, after making sure that Shi got some lunch. The poor girl was still avoiding the men, mostly, not that Harry could blame her.

The two bonded and Kagari made their way to his room, where Gabby unfolded a table and had him place his hands on them. "So…" Harry began, as they unwrapped the man's hands. "Want to tell us why you've been avoiding Gabby?" The woman in question froze at that, turning a questioning look towards both men.

"I'd rather not talk about it, if it's all the same" Kagari muttered, pulling his hands back. Harry grabbed his wrist, locking him into place.

"Nuh uh uh, none of that. Miya gave you an order. Wouldn't want me to go and tell her that you're being uncooperative, would you?" Kagari blanched at that, and was avidly looking around the room at anywhere but Gabby, confirming the last of Harry's theories. He slowly got up, releasing the man's hand as he did. Kagari snatched it with both of his own. "No! Please. I'll… send Gabby, if you must. Don't leave me alone with her."

Harry hated seeing the hurt look on Gabby, especially when she had no idea what she'd done to earn such a comment. He sat back down, continued his unwrapping. "You're reacting to her, aren't you" he said softly. He felt more than saw Gabby straightening up in surprise, her unwrapping forgotten. He glanced at her, and sure enough, her mouth was agape.

Kagari was panicking, but the fear of Miya stepping in won him over. He sighed. "It's worse than that." Now Harry was looking at him, confused. The man stifled a sniffle, turning and looking out the window. "I don't think I can be winged." From their many conversations with the girls, the two of them had learned the importance of such a thing. Harry's theory of it resembling his bond with Gabby hadn't been that far off.

That admittance had Gabby nearing tears of her own in sympathy, and was caressing his arm in comfort. "What makes you say that?" she asked gently.

It was a long minute before the man answered. "When you kissed me, after defeating Number 38, I felt the winging begin. But it hit a block of some sort. I couldn't connect to you. It was like a wall, some force preventing me from being winged. I felt my own wings start to sprout, but when I hit that wall, it was as if my wings folded in on themselves."

He held up his unwrapped hands, the burns on them evident. "I already have difficulties with my powers. There's another Sekirei who has made it a habit of putting out my fires when I lose control. I thought… I hoped… that if I found my Ashikabi, she'd help me gain control of my power. But, when that block hit me, it was as if I got hit with my own fireball, but tenfold. After we parted yesterday, my body began immolating." Both of them let out a small gasp, Gabby even putting a hand to her mouth. "If Tsukiumi hadn't come along, I'd've burnt up from my own power."

Theories were running through his head: some simply outrageous, others with some plausibility. The pieces of the puzzle that was the Sekirei Plan were still being collected, such as the fact that of the four Ashikabis he was personally acquainted with: Minato, Chiho, Seo (having discreetly scanned him when he came to pilfer food), and now Gabby, were all squibs or witches. He himself being a wizard, made that 5 for 5. The commonality of course being all had magic to some degree. He hadn't had the chance to do the same with Higa or Kakizaki, not that he was so inclined to, but his money was leaning towards the same result.

'_At least the truth of why Hana won't kiss me is revealed' _he thought, wondering if he was repeating himself. He was absently applying the burn salves to Kagari's hand, ignoring their conversation. '_But why didn't she get winged by Gabby when they kiss? Or maybe she already is winged? No… we'd have noticed wings sprouting from her. What if… wait. She didn't even kiss Gabby until about a year ago. I remember her half-freaking out when it happened, as if expecting some sort of repercussion. But, that didn't last long, and then she was making out with her as if her life depended on it. We didn't think anything of it more than just a violation of her rules at the time._

'_But… would it be too much of a stretch that the same thing happened with her that just happened with Kagari? Kara isn't a fan of kissing either. Well… then again, we rarely did any kind of foreplay outside of trying to kill each other. Claimed it was purely for the release: in, off and out. I'm now wondering… but Uzume? No. She was already bonded to Chiho when we met. So… extrapolating from there, existing bonds can't and won't be broken even if kissed or attempting to wing to another. Why kissing, though? So odd. I've done practically everything conceivable sexually to and with Hana except kiss her on the lips. But kissing is how they're winged. Such strange rules. Is that how their biology works, or a result of these "adjustments" that I've heard mention a few times.'_

Harry finished up his hand, then pulled out two vials from his bag and set them on the table. "Take this when she's done. Take the other before dinner. They're pain-reliefs. The salves will allow you to use your hands without bandages. But, they'll still be tender, so the relief will handle any pain 'til your nerve endings finish regrowing." Kagari nodded. Harry kissed the top of Gabby's head before leaving the two of them alone.

"Did you get your answers?" Miya was carrying a load of laundry up on her way to the bath. Harry nodded, stepping aside so she could pass, before following her in, leaving the door open.

"I'm afraid so" he conceded, grabbing a couple towels to put away.

"Something went wrong, didn't it." It wasn't a question, but he nodded anyways.

"I'm afraid so" he repeated, rolling another towel that he was pretty sure belonged to Uzume, if the Pokemon were any indication. Harry couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the correlation, the idea of "collecting" them all was all too similar to this Sekirei plan. Though, it did give him an idea, one that he had completely ignored. One that Musubi was on top of on a regular basis: training.

"What happened?"

He was almost startled by the question, losing himself in his thoughts again, before putting the towel away. He turned towards her, concern on her face for her friend and new acquaintance. "A failed winging."

It wasn't often that Miya was surprised, according to Kagari and Uzume. It simply didn't happen. But apparently Harry had done it more times in the past two weeks than the years they'd known her. And here he was once again, surprising her. He only wished he could enjoy it.

"How?"

He shook his head, unsure how to put into words his theory. Especially when he had no proof, and no way to test it outside of the obvious. And he was quite certain neither Kagari nor Miya would be in favor of it. And while Gabby wouldn't mind, she wouldn't push for it either if it wasn't what Kagari wanted.

"We don't know." He tilted his head, pensive. "Not for certain, anyways. I have an idea, but… to test the theory may have consequences. Likely, would have consequences" he amended, looking her in the eye. "Consequences that you wouldn't approve of, and Kagari doesn't want."

"You would have to try winging him yourself, wouldn't you?" Harry nodded. "Does this have anything to do with your relationship with Miss Delacour?" Harry dryly chuckled.

"Yeah, it would. Obviously, there's more to it than we've told anyone. Nothing against any of you, we just don't know you well enough to get into it." Miya nodded, accepting the honesty for what is was. So long as it didn't affect her charges and wards, she had no trouble letting secrets remain secret.

"What else aren't you telling me?"

The two of them stood there, in the washroom, staring each other down. Harry's mind couldn't help but imagine all the scenarios that could happen right now, and, even if they were his last, he'd enjoy each and every one of them. And would make damn certain she would too.

That being said, she was holding the basket win her hands, pressing it against her hip in front of her, awaiting his answer.

"There are quite a few things I'm not telling you, Miya-san. But, as far as Kagari is concerned, that is up to him. His burns will be healed in a few minutes, but the pain will take the afternoon, so I've given him some pain relief potions. Anything else we discussed is for him to divulge. It's not my place."

She considered his words for a few moments before nodding her acquiescence. "Very well, as you wish." Before anything else could be said between them, the two plants in the washroom suddenly sprouted to several times their size. Several shrieks and shouts from outside were heard, and both rushed to the small window. Harry was looking over Miya's shoulder, but needn't have, as the garden and yard were suddenly a massive overgrown mess.

They could hear Musubi's triumphant shouts, mixed with Uzume and Chiho's laughter. They saw, to Harry's surprise, Shi was even smiling, though not moving from her place in the tree she'd appropriated.

"So…" Harry broke the silence, shaking from holding in his giggles. "Who won the bet?"

Miya shook her head, turning her smiling face towards Harry, holding in laughter of her own. "I believe it was Uzume or Kagari. I thought I could at least succeed until Monday, but it seems I underestimated Ku-chan's determination."

"You did also leave her alone with her big brother while partying in the bathroom with me" he added with a waggle of his eyebrows. She smacked him in the stomach, catching him completely off-guard with the teenage move, and showing off her strength as he doubled over to catch his breath. Though, as she walked out, he didn't miss the smile she had on her face, so he took it as a win.

.

* * *

That evening after dinner, Gabby decided to have a girl's night at their place, leaving Minato, Kagari and Harry staying at Izumo with Miya, who turned down the invitation. The guys got to know each other better, even bringing Miya in on the conversations when she wasn't engaged in her book. Harry's reading of Japanese still sucked and couldn't read the title well, but he'd recognize the cover anywhere: Temple of the Winds. He shook his head, surprised.

Late that night, after the guys turned in due to working the next morning, and Miya begged off a nightcap, he settled for taking a bath. He loved his jacuzzi-style bathtub in their place, but there was something about the sauna-style that had its own relaxing atmosphere. He'd have to look into getting his own. Maybe renovate one of the extra bedrooms?

He was propped up against the back wall, soaking in the hot steam with a towel over his eyes. Meditation had never been his strong-suit, but he couldn't deny that it was a boon to both his occlumency skills, and overall skill level when it came to magic. Hermione had once theorized that it and yoga were direct contributors to his immense magical prowess, but there wasn't any definitive proof unfortunately.

Hermione.

Why was it that the past always hurt more than the present? His oldest friend. Her father had been his first instructor, and her mother his unofficial guardian. Hermione had terrified him at first with how much she talked. He never knew if or when he was allowed to speak, so never did. It hadn't been until that first Christmas, when she gave him his very first Christmas present that he had first hugged her, let alone initiated it, surprising both of them. It ended up being the catalyst that started a long friendship.

He shook his head, nearly knocking the damp towel off his face. He reached up and corrected it before resuming his relaxed position. '_Bad time to be losing myself in the past. What's done is done.'_ It was only the soft creaking of a floorboard that alerted him he was no longer alone. So deep in his relaxation he'd neglected to be mindful of his surroundings.

'_Then again' _he reminded himself, '_I am in the wash. Maybe Miya is taking me up on that offer after all? Unlikely, but a guy can hope.' _He gave no indication he heard the intruder, focusing on his senses. Whoever it was was used to sneaking around, her soft footfalls almost imperceptible even to his ears. '_Ah. So, she's decided to reveal herself. How curious. This'll be interesting to say the least.'_ Relaxing a bit more, giving the illusion of sleeping, he listened to the intruder mutter to herself.

Harry had to admit, she was thorough. He could hear her going over all the information she'd collected on him, including a number of photos she'd discovered of his liaisons. Inwardly he was chuckling, as she repeatedly came back to the point of unknown data in regards to certain issues, such as his origins. Or his schooling before University. He was only mildly surprised to hear her mention 'magic' a couple times.

She seemed indecisive, and Harry was wondering if she was chickening out. She'd already approached him when no one else was awake, and when the Inn was the least crowded he'd seen it since arriving. "Are you going to stand there all night, or join me?"

While just above a whisper, his voice sounded like a megaphone in the silence, and the woman shrieked as such, jumping back a few feet and holding a hand to her chest. "How long have you been awake?" The last Black pulled off the towel, laying his eyes on the woman for the first time.

And he wasn't disappointed.

He estimated her height around 160 cm/ 5'3. While short, she had an ample bosom that rivaled Hana's and Musubi's. She had long, red hair - '_more of a scarlet'_, he thought - that trailed to below her rump. She had two long braids, that he was itching to call 'plaits', something Gabby would do with her schoolgirl outfits. What the difference was he had no idea, though he imagined it was something about how it didn't use all the hair. Pigtails were pigtails as far as he was concerned, and made excellent handlebars. And speaking of handles, she had a small waist, but wide hips, which made for lovely curves. And, considering how high up the towel was sitting, very long legs for her height.

Her face was framed by uneven bangs: whether that was a style or not he had no idea, but somehow they didn't get in the way of her cinnamon-colored eyes, something he'd never seen before. Well, not outside of nocturnal creatures and humanoids such as vampires. Which, he amended, might actually be appropriate, considering the nighttime seemed to be the only time she ever left her room.

"I was never asleep" he finally answered, and the woman frowned. "I was curious if you were going to have your evil way with me or not, so I sat and listened to you rambling to yourself."

"I was certainly considering it" she admitted, clasping her hands behind her back, pushing out her chest. "After all, I don't get to experiment with people very often. And I've so dearly needed a new test subject."

There was little doubt in the man's mind what _experiments_ she was referring to, and he had every intention of obliging. "You could've just asked me." She smiled evilly, slowly twisting in front of him. "Tell me, do you have a dragon tattoo?"

"Nooo" she said coyly, stepping towards him. "But I can get one for you, my Ashikabi."

Now he was smiling broadly. "Ah, so that's all I am to you, just a DNA source?"

"If it suits the purpose" she responded, stepping over the low wall into the bath.

"And what purpose is that, luv?"

She stopped before him, going to her knees. "My body. It's on fire. At first, I thought it was just the number of Ashikabi in the house. Then, I thought I was just horny."

"And now?" How he wanted to just take her right there and then. They both knew she'd do anything he wanted at that point, and they hadn't even touched each other. Her chest was heaving with each deep breath. He was counting down the seconds until she either ripped off the towel, or it fell off of its own accord under the strain.

He could see the sweat forming on her chest as she leaned forward. Her hands were rubbing her thighs as she seiza'd before him. Her eyes were clouded over, looking at him in need. He could make out the dilations her eyes were going through, and his inner animal was growing feral at the prime female kneeling at his feet submitting herself to his will.

"Now, I know it is you. My body has chosen you. My mind has chosen you. My heart has chosen you. I, Number 2 Matsu, offer myself fully to be yours as your Sekirei, if you will have me."

There was no secret he wanted her. Not to him, as he knew the moment she walked in he would claim her if she asked him to. And now, after her proclamation, it was certainly not to her, as his anatomy was forcing itself to be made aware. Her already heaving chest became more pronounced as she took notice, her breathing deeper as its form was known, creeping out from underneath the towel. Her hand was reaching out for it as she licked her lips.

It was only inches away before he stopped her, grabbing her wrist firmly but gently. "Did I say you could touch it?" The voice was soft, but it sounded like a gong in her ears as she looked up at him, begging with her eyes.

"Please" she whispered, reaching with her other hand, only to have it stopped as well. She was now leaning forward in an awkward position, her forward weight being held up by the man she so desired.

He eyed her, deciding how long he wanted to drag this out. "When was the last time you came?"

"The morning of April 1st, before we ran into each other." The date didn't really matter to him at first, but the second half caught off guard. He did a mental recap of that day.

"'Before we ran into each other'? When did we…" His eyes lit up a little. "Ah, you were the woman with the head cover on, outside the library."

She nodded, as enthusiastic as she could in her haze. "Yes, sir. I was on my way back and in a hurry so I wasn't paying attention and bumped into you. I was trying to get back here so I wasn't seen. I admittedly didn't even remember until I was looking you up and found the video clip of it and remembered."

He tugged on the arms slightly, pulling her more off-balance. "Don't fall over now."

"Yes, sir" she breathed to his smile.

"Why so long since you came, my pet?" She whined at the connotation, her tongue hanging out slightly.

"Because my Ashikabi didn't say I could, sir."

"If you knew I was your Ashikabi, why didn't you approach me sooner?"

"I didn't know, sir. I was preoccupied at the time, and it wasn't until after Sahashi-san's arrival that I even tried again."

He raised a questioning eyebrow. "Oh? And why is that?"

"I started reacting to him as well." She looked mildly ashamed, hanging her head a bit. He softened his voice.

"Look at me." She did so, and found him smiling at her. "As an unwinged Sekirei, you cannot control who you react to. No need to apologize for it, is that clear?" She nodded quickly, grateful for his understanding. "That being said…" his voice hardened, back to the domineering that she was willfully succumbing to. "From here on out, there will be no other males but me, understood?" Her eyes widened, but her smile nearly broke her face as she grinned, nodding fast enough to remind him of a few house elves he'd known.

"Good girl." Her body shook as she whined again, and she felt herself drenched as everything in her was screaming for a release. He held her a little while longer, watching her body rock back and forth before he leaned forward, holding her arms at his sides.

"Cum for me." With a squeal, her body exploded, and she felt her warm juices running down her legs. If she hadn't been so pent up she'd've been afraid she'd pissed herself with how long it continued. A couple minutes later it finally subsided: three weeks of pent up orgasms all hitting her at once. Everything in her wanted to just collapse into the man's body, but his hold on her arms said otherwise.

He gently set her hands on his thighs, taking care to place her right away from his member. After ensuring she wouldn't move them with a look, he slid his hands up her arms, rubbing them. They mirrored each other as they moved up over her shoulders, to her neck, their thumbs reaching down and teasing her uppermost chest before cupping her head. "And now, you are mine, forever." He pulled her forward as he leaned in, and when their lips met her wings lit up the washroom. The resulting surge shorted out the electronics in the house for a few moments, including the redhead's lab. Had Matsu been coherent enough to think on it, she'd be patting herself on the back for all the upgrades and precautions she'd taken in hardwiring everything so they wouldn't completely fry.

But, as it was, she was lost in the kiss, her body aflame in joy but at peace, the bond with him a humming undercurrent. A few minutes later they parted, and the normally bespeckled woman was smiling broadly, before standing up quickly, surprising Harry. She spun around, showing off the glowing red wings, and the crest that appeared on her left shoulder. "Wisdom of my pledge, bestow the teachings of the world to my Ashikabi!" She curtsied deeply, lightly pulling at the bottom of the towel as she simpered, looking beyond thrilled at her new development. "Number 2 Mastu, your Sekirei, at your everlasting service, sir."

She sauntered back to him, cross stepping before returning to her position at his feet. She turned that look that would boil every straight man's blood on him, leaving absolutely no room for misinterpretation on what she wanted. Not that there was any real question, Harry mused, as he wanted to give it to her badly. "What is thy will, my Lord?"

Unfortunately for them, she never received her answer, as the door to the wash suddenly slid open with a *BANG*. Standing there in the light was Miya in her indigo dressing gown that ended halfway down her thighs, and wielding what Harry thought was a katana. Behind her was Kagari, who was in pajama pants and a loose shirt, with all the raggedness of someone who just rolled out of bed.

"Impure acts in Izumo's bath is prohibited, Matsu-san" she declared with that demon visage, stepping forward towards the pair. Kagari just leaned into the doorway, yawning as he did so. "I take it you two are the source of all the electronics having issues?"

Not one to be surprised, Harry was still sitting there, fighting back a smirk at the intruders. What did surprise him, was the speed that Matsu moved to hide, which meant next to him and squeezing his left arm for dear life as she ducked her head behind his shoulder. He just sat there and watched as the woman stepped over the bath wall, sword gripped tightly in hand.

"Sorry, Miya-san. You're mad, aren't you?" The woman lifted her sword, and tapped the point on her neck near her jugular. "Yeah, you're mad. Sorry" she whined, but not letting go of Harry. He just shook his head with a smirk as the woman turned her gaze on him.

"Yeah, that's our fault. Didn't think the surge was that bad, though. My apologies, Miya."

"I believe I told you no fornications of any sort were to occur in this domicile, Black-san."

"EJ, please, Miya. I think we've known each other long enough, and well enough, for you to call me by my given name.

"And in response to your query, you told me none were to happen in my bedroom. Don't recall you saying anything about the washroom, Miya" he added with a quick flick of both eyebrows. Kagari was mid-yawn when Potter made that response, and nearly choked on it before creeping out and hiding behind one of the walls. Though, Harry saw him peeking in from his safe-harbor.

Matsu was less discreet, as she bolted away, abandoning her Ashikabi to his fate, running for the door. Not quick enough, she learned, as Miya's firm left grip caught her shoulder, holding her in place.

Despite catching one of her targets, the open challenge had caught Miya off-guard. Whether it was the challenge itself, the open offer that he never rescinded, or the fact that all of this was happening while he sat there with nothing but a towel covering his anatomy, no one was sure, least of all Miya.

Perhaps it had been the combination of the above, all being processed by a sleep-addled brain that hadn't fully expected such an interaction that night.

Deciding to just deal with it in the morning, she turned towards her captive. "You, however, did know the rules, Matsu-san. It would be a shame if I had to kick you out, wouldn't it?" The sugary sweet voice and smile had Harry nearing having fits, as Matsu was reduced to trembles.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Miya-san, please forgive me!"

"Is that the truth?" Miya asked, tightening her grip on Matsu. Harry was certain he heard a bone pop.

"Yes" she whined, bowing to the landlady. "I won't do it again." She stole a quick glance at Harry questioningly, who nodded and she nearly sprinted out of the room. The distinct sound of a door swinging shut reached their ears.

"As for you…" the swordswoman turned back to the green-eyed man, still sitting there in all his glory but a covering towel.

"Offer's still open, Miya. And, you've ensured we're alone."

She raised her sword again, holding the point a fraction of an inch in front of his face, right between the eyes. They heard the sound of another door closing, which the raven-head presumed was Kagari disappearing as well, leaving him to his fate. "Is that your attempt to add me to your collection?"

"It's not really a collection when _technically_ Matsu's my only Sekirei" he responded calmly, not phased by the sword. Well, not outwardly. He was inwardly fighting his own body from getting a stiffy at the dangerous woman in front of him. Damn his attraction to troublemakers.

"So you did wing her. That was the source of the power troubles."

"I would wager so" he casually responded, before tapping her sword away from his face. She lowered it in front of him, not taking her eyes off his. He had to give her credit at not checking him out. Deciding it was time to hit the hay himself, he stood up. He realized very quickly that Miya was the same height as Musubi and Yume, coming in around 5'6. Hadn't ever really thought about it before. He also realized that she _had _actually joined him in the bath, as she had both feet firmly set inside the bath wall. He chuckled at this, getting only a questioning look from the woman.

"I just realized you actually did take me up on my offer." Her gaze didn't waver. "You're standing here in the bath with me. I should probably be more specific about my intentions next time." That did the trick, as her set jaw broke into a smirk as she turned as stepped out, with Harry on her heels. After shutting off the water and steam vents, he moved to the clean towels, taking one and began drying himself off.

"Yes…" she voiced softly, and he looked up at the doorway. She was standing there, facing out, but had her left hand on the inner wall and looking back at him with a coy smile. "Perhaps you should have." With that she departed, and Harry was left slack-jawed.

'_What just happened?'_

_._

* * *

**A/N: Welp, back to the library I go. The move was not kind to my poor hard drive. Sigh. I knew it was fragile but daaamn. At least now I can convince myself to invest in a better graphics card. I miss playing StarCraft.**

**Anyways, don't y'all be dissing on my M&Ms and Mt Dew. Try it. It works with any M&Ms, but I recommend ones with peanuts in them so you can still eat them after. Difficult to do with the other types.**

**How to do it? If buying a 20oz Mt Dew, buy a standard M&M bag from any convenience store. Open and drink it down to just above the label, then add the M&Ms. Close lid, and watch the magic. Careful when you open 10mins later. Not as explosive as coke and pop rocks, but will still overflow if too high volume. For 1Ltr attempts, buy a sharing size for similar effects. You can really add as many M&Ms as you want, I use two of each, but these are good starting ratios to see if you even like it. **


	8. Before the Calm

**EDIT! - 10/21/2019 - ****EDIT! **

**Just segmenting error. The horizontal lines were missing, creating an issue with story flow, and I didn't notice until I was reviewing the chapter for continuity with the following. My apologies for getting hopes up. **

**Next chapter due before end of week. Thank you for your patience. See you in next chapter!**

**END EDIT A/N**

* * *

**A/N: Hey y'all, sorry about the long delay. Was "promoted", and received a new shift for my reward. That new shift happens to be the graveyard shift, which is when I like to do most of my writing. THEY'RE MESSING WITH MY MOJO GUYS! Oi vey. So annoying. **

**Anyhow, this has been slowly edited and expanded over the past month or so. I just need it posted so I can move the story along, this chapter has been driving me bonkers. It's less than stellar, I know. I'll endeavor for the following chapter to be an improvement. **

**As always, as my new "promotion" reaffirms me, I'm not the owner of any recognizable characters. Ciao!**

**.**

* * *

_April 20, 2020_

_Izumo Inn_

_._

The next morning was quite the event. The girls all came back from the sleepover, and no one was surprised by Musubi and Ku racing towards Minato to hug him, even cracking his back in the case of Musubi. It was comical watching Minato's reaction to that. Harry took note of the others and observed Uzume carrying Chiho back in bridal style. Her strength was recovering, but two-and-a-half years of atrophy takes a number on the body, even with stimulation. The potions were helping, but it was still a long recovery process for her muscles to develop naturally. He was confident that with her determination, and motivation in the form of Uzume, Halloween was not out of the question for a full physical recovery. Maybe sooner.

Gabby was in the rear, chatting with Shi. The shy girl looked a mix of determined and embarrassed. As if she was working herself up to something, and the blonde was offering encouragement. He couldn't help the internal smirk, having a pretty good idea of what. Miya came out and joined them in greeting the returning ladies, followed by Kagari.

And then, to the surprise of most, Shi made her move. After Musubi and Ku released Sahashi, she walked up and kissed him without any preamble. Harry was a riot of laughter at Sahashi's startled face. Her wings were a soft gray, like a gentle fog in the morning light. It was a few moments before Minato recovered to return the kiss, but by then Shi lost her nerve, blushed a bright red and sprinted into the house, leaving behind a very stunned 19-year-old.

Harry turned towards Kagari, who was slack-jawed next to him. "Damn it" he whined, pulling out his wallet and handing the green-eyed Ashikabi 10k yen. He caught Miya's laughing eyes, handing him her own 10k as she shook her head, before she returned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Harry then winked at Gabby, who smirked at him in return.

"Pleasure doing business with you" Harry remarked, as Kagari just shook his head dejectedly as he returned to the house. His arm was suddenly being wrapped around someone, and he turned to see Gabby cozying up to him.

"Sooo… when we going shopping?" He just laughed, kissing the top of her head before leading her back in himself.

"Did you all have a good time?" he asked her, holding her hand as she sat down.

"It was pretty great, actually. Everyone has painted nails, now."

"Is that so? Went with your normal pink?"

"Yep!" she exclaimed, waving her dainty feet and wiggling toes in front of him, before crossing them. "Musubi got pink too. Though, it took a while. Apparently, she's really ticklish on her feet, so we kept making a mess. Thank goodness for cleaning spells."

She caught him up on some of the day and night's events, leaving things out that were for "girls only" that he tried to coax out of her, but she was stubbornly refusing. Even when he broke out the big guns and began tickling her she held firm. Ku came and rescued her by tackling Harry, who mock-laughed as the little girl began tickling him. After he surrendered, the youngest of the house showed off her painted nails, choosing a soft, golden yellow that matched her hair. She even had some light green glitter on them that matched her normal outfit.

An interesting combination, Harry thought, but Ku was very happy with her choice.

"So, what happened here while we were gone? Get into any shenanigans?" Uzume's tease had all the girls - well, the ones present - turning to him questioningly. Kagari was shaking his head on the other end, but otherwise silent. Minato was a bit confused, as he hadn't remembered anything happening.

"Wait… why is Kagari shaking his head?" Gabby asked him, turning the attention on the silver-haired man. He was clearly uncomfortable by the sudden attention, especially when the resident Veela slowly got up and sauntered over to him.

"Oh Kagari… do tell me what my beloved boyfriend got himself into while we were away…" she whispered saucily into his ears, rubbing his shoulders. Uzume was beside herself, as she'd never seen him looking so lost and uncomfortable with anyone besides Miya in her mean-lady mode. It was quite the treat for the brunette.

Not that everyone else wasn't enjoying it. While he didn't understand what was going on, Minato was enjoying that someone else was being teased for a change. Musubi and Ku looked lost, though Harry caught some flecks of violet in the elder of the two's eyes. He really did need to find out more about what happened to her.

"I… uh… don't really know for sure what happened" Kagari began, stuttering as Gabby's soft hands began wandering under his shirt. He was slowly losing his nerve, as his heart was racing under the ministrations.

"So? Do tell what you suspect then. I promise I won't bite… unless you ask me…" she stage-whispered, licking his earlobe. This time Minato did get embarrassed, as he broke into another nosebleed. Harry was certain Kagari was about to follow him, as his face became redder and redder the longer she massaged him.

"Breakfast is ready… oh my!" Miya stepped in carrying a platter and stopped in the doorway as the sight caught her eyes. Kagari looked momentarily relieved, thinking the fear of the landlady would stop the blonde's touch.

It didn't.

If anything, she grew bolder, dipping her hand down the front of his shirt even further.

"You really shouldn't keep information from a lady, Kagari. It is quite rude you know." Chiho became a support pillar for both Uzume and Potter, who were leaning on each of her shoulders laughing at Kagari's deer-in-the-headlights look. While not understanding the context, even Ku was laughing at his funny face, as was Musubi.

"I… uh… it's not really my business, Gabby-sama" he stuttered, causing said woman to grin at the back of his head. If there was any question the hold she had over him, no one had any doubts any more as he succumbed faster than a lovestruck teenager. Especially once her fingers trailed up and ran through his hair. His head fell forward, failing to hide how much he was enjoying it. "Evil. Pure evil you are."

"You were bound to learn that sooner or later" Harry snarked, getting another round of titters from the girls. He summoned the ducky from Miya's pocket, causing her to slightly gasp at the intrusion, and bopped him on the head with her hand before turning back to the kitchen. "Why don't you come down here and join us, pet?"

A sudden scrambling and quick footsteps saw all eyes but Kagari and Harry's turning to the stairs, where the redhead was coming to a stop behind Harry. She stepped up next to him, and after he patted the spot on his right between him and Musubi, she sat.

"GHOST!" Ku cried, before running back and hiding behind Minato.

"Not… ghost… just… Matsu…" Kagari muttered under the blonde's fingers. Matsu giggled at the sight.

EJ introduced her. "For those of you who don't know, this is Matsu. She's been living in Room 201."

"Where's room 201? I've only seen 202 thru 213."

Black nodded at Minato. "That's because 201 is a hidden room. Have you ever thought the upstairs seemed disproportionate?"

"Actually yeah, I have. It felt smaller than down here. I was assuming the extra space was maybe storage or something"

"Eh, in a sense it is. It's storing our local snoop here." The pigtailed girl pouted at that but couldn't deny the accusation. "The area directly above the kitchen is her bedroom."

"So… why is she in a hidden room?"

"That's a fair question, Minato. Care to answer that, Matsu?"

"Simply put, I'm hiding here." Minato, Musubi, Ku, Gabby and Chiho all turned towards her. Harry bit back a smirk at Kagari's pouting face he was making, as Gabby had stopped what she was doing to listen to Matsu.

"Why are you hiding?" Ku was peeking out from behind Minato's shoulder, still unnerved by her 'ghost' making her appearance. But it didn't stop her curiosity.

"The short answer? M.B.I. is after me. When I stopped working there, I took something. Aaand… they're a bit eager to get it back."

Before any further questions could be asked, Miya returned with another platter. "My husband built the room as a joke. He thought it would be funny to have a secret room to disappear to.

"As I have told you before, Minato-san, my husband was someone who never turned anyone away in need. Matsu-san needed somewhere to hide and has been here ever since." Harry was a bit confused, wondering why she didn't just leave the country if she was hiding. In fact, now that he thought about it, it seemed far too coincidental with how many Sekirei were here in Tokyo. More information he's missing.

'_Y'know, it's been over two weeks. I should really have that conversation with Miya soon. I… we… I… one or both of us keep putting it off. Hmm… now that Matsu has been revealed, and they all know our usage of magic, maybe we should have a full-disclosure conversation. Feel like there should be a rule book or something for this "game". Or… the Game Master. Hana. Or Kara. Should talk to them, see if I can't convince them to enlighten me.'_

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. It got everyone's attention, but most of all Matsu's, who, with an "eep!", vanished back upstairs to her room.

"I wonder who that could be, so early this morning." Miya asked no one in particular, before moving to answer it. Harry's senses were tingling. _'Why do I suddenly have a very bad feeling about whoever is at the door? Better go and…'_ He was only halfway up when Miya's not-so-friendly voice cut through the house.

"What are you doing here?" _'FUCK!'_ Harry bolted for the front door and slid to a stop behind Miya. Where she'd pulled her sword from, he had no idea, but it was currently leveled at a very familiar silver-haired woman. One of the last people Harry expected to see here of all places.

"Kara?" The single word had both women turning towards him: one with a questioning frown, the other with a surprised delight.

"Well well, it's a small world after all, Potter."

"Harry-san, how is it you know this woman?"

"With how many times she's been hired to kill me, difficult not to be acquainted."

"Ouch. I would say 'acquainted' is the least of what we are, wouldn't you?" Her devilish smirk was clearly enjoying the newly developed situation they found themselves in, and Harry couldn't blame her. Though, he was thinking fast, as all those conversations about her 'rival' were suddenly slotting into place in the puzzle that was the Sekirei game. The one she always professed to being unable to defeat but had every intention of doing so before she died.

"So… Miya is the One, I suppose? While I was unaware of that, I find myself unsurprised, now that the name is placed with the allegations."

"And that is why I keep you around, Potter. And not just 'cause you're a good lay." Of all the things she could have said at that moment, she found the one that would trigger Miya. Why it triggered her, he would have to ponder on later, as right there and then, Miya's face became angry, her eyes blood-red, oozing killer intent. _'Fuck. Me.'_

"I want you both out of my house this instant." Harry just sighed before pulling on his shoes, deciding now was definitely NOT a good time to try arguing with her. That she wasn't just swinging her sword at him was a good sign, he hoped. Or, it was because of the full house she was hosting at the moment.

"I'm not in your house, Miya. I'm still on the front porch. Besides, I just came to see how Musubi was doing. I heard she was staying here, and I wanted to say hello." Her shit-eating grin never left her face the whole time, pushing the purple-haired woman's buttons. It was clear they had a history, because she did it so flawlessly.

"You 'heard', did you?" Miya accused, her sword still pointing at the woman. "Where is your sword?"

"I left it in Natsuo's car, of course. See?" she raised her gray haori and spun around. "I came completely unarmed but my hands. Didn't want to chance angering you on your home turf, Miya." Harry stepped forward to walk out but stopped in front of Miya. They shared a look. If Harry wasn't mistaken, and at that moment he couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw pain underneath those eyes. At who or what, though, he had no idea, as it couldn't possibly be towards him.

Could it?

She lowered her sword from Kara's face, not taking her eyes off of Harry before a surprised voice called out from the entryway. "Karasuba-sama?" All three turned towards the voice. Musubi was peeking out from the corner, but upon recognizing the woman in gray stepped out, her chocolate eyes wide in excitement.

"It's good to see you again, Muu-chan."

"Karasuba-sama!" The brunette bounced forward, her buxom chest matching in stride, as she moved between Harry and Miya to get to her friend. They embraced, though Harry could see Kara looked mildly uncomfortable with the action but did so anyways.

"What're you doing here?"

The conversation went on, but Harry ignored it, having returned his gaze to Miya's, who was matching it. They stood there like that for a few minutes, just staring at each other, before she turned away. "She is welcome in this house for the duration of her visit with Musubi-chan. But she is your responsibility, Black-san. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Asama-san. I'll keep an eye on her."

"See that you do." With that she walked away.

'_That woman is giving me whiplash.'_

"Come, Karasuba-sama! I want to introduce you to everyone!" Harry turned in time to see Musubi dragging Kara into the house. The woman was highly bemused, and just managed to kick off her shoes before being pulled further down the hallway. He shook his head, took his own off and arranged the lot, before following.

They were in the dining room, and he immediately noticed that both Ku and Shi were hiding behind Minato. Well... they were doing their best to, at least. He wasn't all the big to hide behind. Miya wasn't there, not that he was surprised, but Kagari was looking more than slightly worried by the guest's appearance. As was Uzume, he noted, though Chiho was doing her best to calm her down.

He noted Matsu's absence, though wasn't surprised by it, as she had only moments ago said she was on the run from M.B.I. And having the leader of M.B.I.'s disciplinary squad show up at her hiding place had to be more than a bit off-putting.

Unsurprisingly, Gabby had greeted the woman cheerfully. While the two hadn't interacted much over the years, they both knew quite a bit about each other from Harry. It should probably be concerning him that a woman who's attempted to kill him no less than two dozen times was talking happily with his bond-mate, who's also tried to kill him a few times. And he was actively sleeping with one and would sleep with the other whenever he got the chance.

Such a strange life he led, he thought with a chuckle, shaking his head.

The last Potter made his way to the kitchen, where Miya was absently doing dishes… badly. She was clearly not paying any attention, as half of her scrubs weren't even on the plate she was holding. And the ones that were covered the exact same spot as the dozens before them.

He sighed, turning to make some tea for them all. The sound of a plate being dropped in the sink caught his attention, and he turned his head towards the source. Miya was leaning over the sink, both hands on the counter, fists squeezing tightly; her whole body was trembling. He could see them turning white, and he was wondering if the counter would survive. As comforting or confronting her in any way seemed a horrible idea at that moment, he let her be.

Once the water was boiled, he prepared the tea, then carried it out to the table, setting it in front of Gabby with a look that she nodded at. He returned to the kitchen, grabbing spoons, creams and the like, putting them on a platter before carrying them, too, out to the table.

Kara's visit proved to be a short one, as she promised Miya. She was introduced to Minato as Musubi's Ashikabi, who didn't really have much of a reaction to who she was. As he hadn't had any run-ins with the Disciplinary Squad, it wasn't much of a surprise. Kara made the requisite threat of being good to Musubi, which had Harry, Gabby and Chiho all laughing at Minato's backpedaling promise to do so.

Thankfully, nothing about their… relationship… was brought up. Whether it was to save the innocent ears - which he doubted - or just didn't feel like it - more likely - he was grateful, nonetheless.

An hour after her arrival she departed. Musubi said her farewell at the door, but Harry walked her to the gate.

"Hoping for a kiss goodbye, Potter?" she teased, standing coyly with a hand on her hip.

"I wouldn't be opposed, Kara" he retorted, stepping towards her.

"You shouldn't be, I'm a damn good kisser" she responded, stepping forward as well.

"I'd say that's one of your lesser talents" he jibed, closing the final gap. She was taller than the others, even Miya. He estimated she was about 5'8/ 172cm. Her chest was pressed up against his, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tighter against him. She responded by wrapping hers around his neck, peering into his eyes. "It's your other talents I'm much more interested in."

She smirked, getting up on her tiptoes, hovering her lips over his in tease for a few moments. "If only I was _yours_," she whispered, before pulling away with a cocky grin.

He twisted his pursed lips. "One of these days, darlin', you WILL be mine," he declared adamantly with a hint of husky and was graced by that dilation of the eyes he'd come to enjoy in Sekirei. She stepped back up to him, grabbing his head and pulling him into a kiss that more closely resembled a face battle before releasing him.

"But not today, sugar" she responded in that sultry voice that got every warm-blooded male's blood racing south.

With a wink, she pecked him again before sauntering off, disappearing down the street. _'Welp, that certainly answers whether or not I can just claim someone else's Sekirei. But oh how I wanted to. Bummer.'_

He returned to the house, greeting a smirking Gabby standing next to a slack jawed Kagari at the door. He pecked her on the lips before heading inside. Someone had cleaned up the table, as all the dishes were gone. Ku was still sitting there with Minato. It looked like she was drawing something he couldn't make out. How there were crayon marks on the outside of her arms he had no clue.

Continuing on into the kitchen, Shi was at the sink doing the dishes. She was startled by his sudden entry, which he apologized before asking if she needed help. She meekly declined his offer, not looking him in the eyes. In as soft of a voice he could manage, he congratulated her.

"I am happy for you and Minato, Shi," he said gently. It didn't stop her from jumping so violently she cracked the plate she was holding as she meekly cowered from him. He held his hands up in surrender, showing he didn't mean her any harm. "I apologize for startling you."

"That's ok" she whispered, averting her eyes. Sighing, he waved his hand at the broken plate in her hand. She stared at it as it repaired itself, and then gawked at him as he backed up towards the doorway. He smiled softly before turning and leaving her to herself. It bothered him she was so unsettled around him, but normally shrugged it off as his aggressive, perverse lifestyle bothering her. Didn't mean he had to like that she couldn't even look him in the eye most times. He made a note to talk to Minato about it.

He ran into Musubi on the stairs, who was in her training getup and on her way outside, with Uzume and Chiho behind her. Uzume was similarly dressed, answering that question.

That left only Matsu and Miya. He flipped a coin in his head, not that it would actually change his decision.

He turned away from the stairs and down the rarely-traversed hall that led to Miya's room. Outside of the laundry room, which was also on the hall, there wasn't a reason to come this way. Which, for what would likely happen next, was most fortunate, as he knocked on her door.

"Miya?" He knew she was in there, as he could sense her. And hear her, somewhat.

Knowing it was a terrible idea, he slid open the door and stepped into the dark room.

She was on the side of the bed (he'd realize that it was an American-style queen-size instead of traditional Japanese later when remembering this night) perpendicular to him, sitting upright like a proper lady, but her head was tucked down as her body shook. Her hands were in fists on her knees, pale white from the lack of blood flow.

They stayed like that for a few moments, as he debated on whether to say anything or not. Instincts were saying not, but his body betrayed him and moved forward. Alarms were screaming in his head to stop moving, but his body wouldn't respond, as his hand reached out to cover hers. Her shaking stopped instantly.

"Do not. Touch. Me." She snarled without looking. Why his body wasn't listening he couldn't figure out, but his hand closed around her fist.

This instantly proved a mistake, as she spun around faster than he was able to process at that moment and had him by the throat in her left hand, her right wielding a very sharp knife, and was pressing it against his stomach. Where the butcher's knife came from, he only distantly fathomed. His enhanced eyesight made out her blood red eyes that were screaming rage at him. And pain.

"I said: Do. Not. Touch. ME!" Yeah. He was going to die. Because, instead of moving back towards the door, his right hand came up and settled on her waist, gently pulling her closer. Her eyes sharpened at the contact but didn't fight the movement as she stepped nearer. But she did press the blade into his stomach a bit harder. He somewhat wagered she'd broken skin, but that didn't overly concern him at the moment.

"Tell me" he whispered, pulling her closer. The blade slid into him, as he definitely felt that last jolt.

"Why?" she gnashed. He wasn't sure what she was referring to, as the question was much heavier than a challenge to his request. His left arm began caressing her right that was still holding the knife in his stomach. He could feel the warm liquid that was his life source creeping down his front, but made no indication he was aware.

"Why did you let him die?"

Ah.

The question he'd been wondering about himself for some time was weighing heavily on his heart. And her rage-filled eyes were pleading him for an answer. An answer he couldn't give.

"I don't know" he responded softly, not leaving her eyes.

"Not good enough" she retorted, pushing the dagger further. That time he felt pain but resisted responding to it.

"If I knew the answer, Miya, I would tell you. But, I don't. My memory has not recovered enough to give you what you seek."

"Did you kill him?"

How he wanted to deny it. How he wanted to be offended by such a suggestion. But even then, he couldn't. The bit of memory he _had_ recovered told him that he had several chances to get Takehito to safety but didn't. Why didn't he?

"I don't know" he answered honestly, not leaving her eyes.

"Karasuba was supposed to be his bodyguard. Was she there?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"You're not exactly making a case for why I shouldn't kill you."

"No. I'm not" he agreed. His left hand stopped on her elbow and, surprising her, he pulled it towards him, pushing the dagger further into his gut.

"I don't know what all happened, only that I had a chance to make him leave and didn't."

"Why!?" she barked at him, having overcome the shock. The force of her demand jiggled the blade, and he actually winced at the action.

"Whatever he was working on, he said the data would save the Sekirei. And you." Her eyes welled up slightly, but the anger and pain were still there. "I was too busy putting out fires to pay attention if he said more. But whatever it was, I let him keep downloading it instead of making him escape."

"Who did you work for? Why were you here to begin with? What did you hope to gain by becoming his friend? Where the hell was 'Suba? You both swore to me you'd protect him, why didn't you? HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THE EXPLOSION? WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE!?" She screamed the last at him, punctuating each question with another jab of the blade into his stomach. The last was tear-filled, and she collapsed into him, releasing his throat. He caught her, holding her head to his chest while she sobbed. Occasionally she'd pound on his chest, repeating "Why?" as she did.

He could feel his blood loss beginning to take hold. Despite his accelerated healing factor, the blade itself was still in his stomach, and he didn't dare touch it. Gabby was going to pitch a massive fit should he survive this, but he felt it was necessary. For both of them. He'd failed her, the woman in his arms. How and why, he still didn't know, but he knew imperatively he had failed.

If only he could figure out what was blocking the memories.

Guiding her back to the bed, he sat her down on it as he took the spot next to her. She slid an arm under his right, and wrapped her steel grip around his neck, sobbing into his chest. She'd cried so much already that he could feel his shirt soaking through. But, again, was not going to comment on it anytime soon.

It was nearly 20 minutes before her sobs began to dissipate. He had to wonder if she'd spent the past ten years bottling it all up. Being the eldest of the Sekirei, she watched over them all, despite letting them beat each other up. He'd question the logic of that, but the Weasleys were seven kids and they had done it to each other all the time, so perhaps it was a big family kind of thing? Though, somehow, all six boys had been afraid of Ginny.

Ginny.

Logically, he knew her death hadn't been his fault. But, tell his heart that. He'd done all he could to keep her away from the battle, short of locking her up himself. Even now, eight years later, he still felt guilty. Daphne and Gabrielle had done wonders to help him move forward from it, but it still weighed on him.

Daphne.

Another death that weighed on him. If he hadn't gotten her pregnant, she wouldn't have been at that hospital. Had he been with her instead of travelling for work he could've saved her. Protected her.

He mentally slapped himself. Daphne would be kicking his ass if she saw him blaming himself for her death. There wasn't anything he could've done. Even with him there she might've still died. He might've died from the suddenness of it.

And now, in the past few weeks another death has been weighing on him: one that he felt instinctively was very much his fault. He just didn't know how. Or why.

The sounds of a soft snore snapped him out of his musings, as he looked down at the woman in his arms. _'She fell asleep? Great… and left the dagger in my stomach. I can't stay like this but moving might be very counterproductive. Damn women really are going to be the death of me.'_

Deciding the worst was over for the moment, and the need to get a blood replenishing potion was rising, he tucked his left arm under her knees and slowly moved to lay the woman on the bed. With a wave of his hand, the blanket disappeared from under her, and appeared on top. He watched her grab another pillow and pull it to her chest, wrapping her arms around it before returning to her slumber.

He watched her for a few moments, before moving to stand back up. Vertigo hit him like a truck, and he nearly collapsed, narrowly avoiding landing on the sleeping landlady. _'Cause that would have gone over soooo well'_ he thought dryly as he staggered to the door.

Sliding it open, he took one last glance at the bed, reassuring she was still asleep, before slipping out. Closing it behind him, he looked up and was surprised to see Musubi standing there, arms crossed.

Well... Musubi's body. The brilliant, violet eyes told him who he was really looking at. Next to her was Matsu, biting her nails and looking very worried.

"How is she?" Musu-Yume asked, voice full of concern.

"Sleeping" he responded. He was curious how they'd respond if it came out that he really had killed their eldest sister's husband. Or, at the very least, been responsible for his death.

"And you?"

"What's another day if you don't do something that might get you killed" he joked, though the cough at the end ruined it. Worse, some blood spat out, and landed on Musu-Yume's front.

Matsu half-shrieked, mouth still covered by her face, mixed with fear of waking up Miya, as she finally noticed the blade sticking out of Harry's stomach. Musu-Yume looked at it, before looking back at him.

"You wanted her to kill you" she accused. The lack of emotion in it would've been highly unsettling had he not bled so much. He could feel his healing factor working, but blood loss took longer to replenish without help.

"I wanted to give her the chance to do so away from prying eyes" he rasped out, leaning against the wall. Matsu made to move forward, but Musu-Yume stuck a hand out, stopping her. "It's only fair that the woman be given the chance to take vengeance on the one responsible for her husband's death."

"So, you did kill Takehito?" The question may have sounded accusatory, but Musu-Yume did not look convinced in the slightest. Matsu was looking between the two of them and the blade with a worried expression that was increasing with every passing moment.

He sighed heavily, aided by the pain he was in. "I don't know" he conceded. "Not for sure. Every time that memory goes through my head, I get more and more of the argument between he and I about getting him to safety. It's never mentioned what happened, but there are flashes of a strange crystal that was emitting some sort of - I don't know, electrical shockwaves? - sending them everywhere, causing mayhem to all the electrical circuits, starting fire after fire. I see myself putting out the fires the best I can, arguing with Takehito about escaping. But he keeps refusing, saying whatever he was grabbing would save the Sekirei. All of them."

"And you think that because you didn't force him to abandon his life's work to save himself, work that would potentially save over a hundred Sekirei, that you're the one responsible for him dying?"

"As Miya said, I was supposed to protect him. Sometimes, you have to protect people from themselves. And I didn't."

She studied him, looking torn between berating him and hugging him. Instead, she sighed. "Maybe you should listen to your own words of wisdom, Harry," she whispered, stepping to him. Without preamble, she yanked the dagger out and pressed her hand over the wound. Matsu saw the pink-purple glow of her power envelope her hand, and Harry grunted as the wound was cauterized.

When finished, she removed her hand and inspected the scar she intentionally left. Once satisfied, she turned to the redhead. "Get him up to his room so he can rest. I'll tell Gabby-san he needs one of their potions. Musubi needs to get back to training." Looking at the knife, she spun it around her hand a few times before surprising the other two and, with a twist and a flick, flung the knife into the wall next to Miya's door, where it buried itself to the hilt.

They stared at it for a moment, both processing the various meanings of the action, before turning to the woman in question: she was gone.

.

* * *

"Harry-sama! Harry-sama! Wake up!" The raven-haired man had taken Yume's advice and gone to bed, further enforced by Gabby's shrieks. The blonde had considered not giving him anything at all but decided that she'd find another way to kill him once he was fully functional and she could kick his ass without reservation. He hadn't bothered defending himself, as it would only get worse if and when she knew the whole truth.

"Harry, wake up damn it!" Speaking of the blonde… "Something's going on in the city! Some strange guy is on the TV! He's hacked into every channel, making some crazy announcement." She yanked his blanket off of him as he rolled over.

"Alright I'm up I'm up, sheesh. Can't even let a guy suffer in agony peacefully anymore these days."

"Oh, shut up you asswipe. I'm still mad at you. But the girls are calling this guy the 'professor' for some reason."

"It's Minaka Hirato, Harry-Sama." The redhead's words slammed into him, and he looked up at her.

"This can't be good." Springing up, he wobbled a moment, getting his balance before Gabby helped stabilize him. With a quick thanks, they moved to Matsu's room, where most of the house had gathered. Matsu slipped through the crowd and dropped to her knees before tapping a few keys on a keyboard.

Sure enough, the Director of M.B.I. was on the screen. It appeared that Matsu was recording/ had recorded the broadcast, as he could make out that the time on the screen didn't match the screens around the room.

"_**Ladies and Gentlemen of Tokyo, I am Minaka Hiroto of M.B.I., and I have an announcement to make. We M.B.I. have occupied Tokyo! A new age of gods is dawning here!"**_

The announcement continued, but the room's mood had already shifted.

"Wha… what does he mean b-b-by 'occupied'?" Minato's words cut through the sound, as Matsu hit pause on the recording.

"It's already started…" Matsu was in the beginning stages of a freak-out. "Sekirei Plan: Second Stage has begun."

"'Second stage'?" Minato repeated. Harry was wondering what the first stage was, but then immediately realized the winging of the Sekireis was the first. But, if they're in the second stage now, that meant…

"It means the number of winged Sekirei has reached a certain percentage. Specifically, 93%."

"That is an awfully specific number" Harry voiced, doing the math in his head before coming to the answer. "No. it's not the percentage that matters…"

"Exactly, Harry-sama" she concurred, before looking at the room at large. "There are 108 total Sekirei in the Game. 93% means 99/ 107 viable Sekirei have now been winged."

"Leaving only 8 un-winged" Chiho whispered. Uzume and Matsu both looked at Kagari, who was paling rapidly. Minato, Musubi and Shi hadn't put him together quite yet by the looks of it. Though, he wasn't actually certain about Shi, considering her shyness. Ku was looking between all of them, trying to understand it all. Gabby was looking at Harry.

Harry had his chin in his hand, thinking it all over. "Matsu, who is left un-winged? Are you able to determine that? Primarily, Akitsu. Is she considered winged?"

The woman immediately turned to another screen, and with a few moments of fast keystrokes, had the information popping up on three screens.

"Yes. Despite the alterations to her removing her bond to you, Number 7 Akitsu is still considered both viable and winged, though the modifications are noted here as well. They're not pleasant, but that's for another time. The M.B.I. database still has on file her winging on August 4th, 2010 to you. She was the third Sekirei to be winged, after Number 5 Mutsu who had been first to Mikogami Hayato in 2009, and Number 8 Yume, on August 2nd, 2010, also to you."

"So, besides Number 6 Homura, who we know is un-winged, who all is left?"

"The other seven are… Number 3, Kazehana" which Gabby and Harry shared a look about. "Number 9, Tsukiumi." The woman's picture popped up next to Kazehana. Harry noticed Minato flinch. An interesting response he'd address at a later time. "Number 50, Nimsu." A rare male showed up, and Harry bit back the laugh at his stoner disposition. "Number 97, Kaneie." This woman was in a skin-tight tracksuit head to toe, most of which was leg, and was also 'peacing' the camera.

"Here's 107, Shiina. Though, I must add I suspect this is temporary. He's staying with someone who I've calculated a 99% chance of also being an Ashikabi, so it's likely a matter of time."

"Shiina" Ku repeated, standing up and moving towards the screen. She caressed his digital image while the others watched. After a few moments, Minato crawled over to her and hugged her from behind. Ku turned and wrapped her small arms around him, tears threatening to fall.

"And last, but likely the most dangerous..." she pressed a final key with emphasis, "Number 13 Tsubaki: the Dark Star." The woman's picture who popped up could've given Miya a run for her money in looks of rage.

"That's only seven total with Homura, Matsu. Who is the eighth?"

She tapped a few keys. "That's because only seven are left now. Number 98, Kujou, was just winged a few minutes ago."

'_Damn. too bad. She looks hot. I mean, she's wearing stockings and a mini skirt! Look at those perfectly, formed jugs! Sex on legs!'_ A few more keys, then she whined/sighed. "By Higa."

'_Aaand yet another reason to hate that wanker.'_

"So, they've captured another one. Great" he muttered. A beeping from another screen, and one of the pictures left the visual.

"Make that six left. Nimsu was just winged by Mikogami."

Harry took a deep breath. "Ohhh boy…"

"What do you want to do, Harry-sama?" Matsu's question kept him from delving into his thoughts. He looked up and realized everyone was looking at him, but Minato and Ku, who were still looking at Shiina's picture.

"What do you mean, Matsu?" Though, he was fairly certain what she was asking, he just didn't want to put it to words all that much.

"There are only six left" she repeated, indicating the screens behind her. "And this _is_ a Game. You could… potentially… add six more Sekirei to your flock."

Yeah. He really didn't want to put _that _to words. It appealed to his ego, sure. But the more he remembered, the more he learned, the more he hated it.

Six Sekirei left to be winged.

He wanted to laugh. He had one of them on speed-dial and was standing in the room with another. Leaving four. Another sob from Ku had him looking at the picture again. He vaguely recognized the boy but wasn't sure why.

He was very curious why the blonde Tsukiumi had gotten a flinch from Minato. Did he know her? She looked grumpy. Tracksuit girl had him curious, though she greatly resembled Tracer from Overwatch: tall, very skinny, with crazy long legs. Even the hair color and face was the same. Change the outfit and she'd be cosplaying her.

But Number 13. That one intrigued him greatly and felt himself drawn to her. He'd learned that the Sekirei were released in waves, almost always in order of their numbers. Shi had been an abnormality due to her extreme shyness, 'til she'd been outright kicked out of M.B.I. It hadn't helped that she'd been immediately set upon by Higa's thugs. Which reminded him… he hadn't spoken with Toyotoma or Ichiya in a while.

Getting back to the point, he'd learned that single digits were considered a whole class of their own. Uzume had said more than once that even Number 9, who they were looking at, outclassed her in power level by a huge margin, despite being one digit apart. Harry himself knew that Kazehana and Karasuba had enormous power and suppressed them greatly. Only matched, if not exceeded, by Miya herself… which he was suddenly wondering…

He'd ask Matsu later what she meant by '107 viable' and not 108.

But Akitsu and 'Homura' had proven to be high on the power scale as well. Especially as Akitsu had even done a number on him. Granted, she was angry and angry women could be terrifying, but it was all the same to him.

Well… not really. She was LIVID. And she'd actually hurt him physically, something that had surprised him at the time.

The real question was, how much did he WANT to be involved? And how the hell was M.B.I. getting away with occupying an entire city?

He was seriously considering just taking everyone who wanted to leave, namely those in Izumo with him, plus Hana, Ichiya and Toyotoma, and just… well… leave. Between him and Gabby, they could side-by-side apparate everyone to Osaka, where the Japanese Ministry of Magic was. Hell… actually, he could just go to the Ministry, get a portkey for twenty, then head back to the UK.

It was suddenly sounding like a great idea.

And he'd gotten off the point again. Thirteen. How a number that high was still free, one that wasn't a single digit, was highly intriguing.

"Harry?" Gabby's question brought him back to Earth, and he looked down at her questioning eyes. He took a deep breath.

"_What do you think, Gabs? I mean, do we really want to play this game_?" He asked her in English.

"_I thought I had…" _she began_. "But, taking over an entire city? Who does that? Why? I get the feeling there's a lot to this whole thing that we're not being told about_."

Harry just nodded. "_I agree. I was just thinking that maybe we should just… y'know… leave._"

"_You're not seriously suggesting just leaving them all here to fend for themselves, are you?_" she accused. He didn't even bother hiding the hurt look.

"_C'mon, Gabs, you know me better than that._" She looked down guiltily, before he tilted her chin up to him. "_I was planning on taking everyone here in Izumo who wanted to leave, as well as Hana. Toyotoma and Ichiya, too, if they were willing."_

"_Not Kara?"_

"_She wants to play. Plus, she's one of the ones in charge of making sure everyone participates."_

"_You know she'll just come after you again."_

"_And she'll fail again."_ She at least nodded, not voicing her concerns regarding that line of thought. Not that he needed her too, it wasn't anything she hadn't said before.

"_How would we leave?"_

"_Portkey" _he answered simply, and she widened her eyes before facepalming.

"That's far too simple" she responded in Japanese.

"What's too simple" Minato asked. Unbeknownst to most of the occupants, Matsu and Kagari had been following the conversation, and were now having a whispering one.

"Harry and I aren't really interested in getting involved in something that involves taking over an entire city. The implications of what that entails are not sitting well with us."

"What would you do?" he asked. "I mean, if they've shut down the city, it's not as if we can just leave." The moment he finished his question, he realized he'd walked into something as they both smiled mischievously at him. "Can we?"

"We're wizards, Minato" Harry smirked. "Yeah, we can leave. So long as there aren't any anti-apparation or anti-portkey wards up. Which, for an entire city, would be bloody difficult to do in a short time. And that's assuming anyone knows what I or Gabby even are."

"I'm guessing those… _portkeys_ and _apparation_… are some form of magical travel?" he prompted, trying out the foreign words, and was surprised by Chiho and Uzume's enthusiastic nod. Kusano's surprised him the most.

"Yeah, remember how I got down from that tree with Kusano?"

Minato's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that." He rubbed the back of his head. "Wait, how far can you go with that, anyways?"

"Truthfully? If it was just me? Halfway around the planet. With Gabby? To Istanbul, if I wanted to."

"With all of us, though?" Uzume questioned, waving a hand at the room.

"All of us wouldn't get very far, admittedly. But…" he added before the room looked dejected, "we don't need to get far. Just far enough."

"However, that's not what we were planning on doing, as I don't have the magical reserves Superman here has" she teased, slapping Harry's chest with the back of her hand. "There's an item called a portkey we can get or just make ourselves. It is specifically designed to carry mass groups of people. Upwards of twenty-one people at once. And, they can go anywhere in the world."

"Where would we go?" Chiho prompted, sitting up with Uzume's help.

"Home" the duo chorused, before butting foreheads with a smile.

With the exception of Matsu and Kagari, who were still whispering to each other, the room broke into various conversations, happy smiles all around. Even Shi was looking excited, the idea of being far away from the fighting very appealing to her.

Miya, who'd been listening from outside the door, sighed, doing her best to hide a sniffle as she walked away.

_._

* * *

_April 21, 2020_

_Early afternoon_

.

The excitement from the previous day received an extra incentive to become a reality in less than 24 hours. Lunch had just finished, though Miya had been conspicuously absent, and everyone was pitching in to clean up when a sudden chime sounded. The two magicals shared shocked looks, looks that turned to angry ones as a secondary chime was heard in their ears only, indicating an intrusion of their home.

Both turned and bolted to the front door where they surprisingly ran into Miya, who'd been outside, her eyes looking as tired as Harry felt from the previous day's overwhelming emotions. "I was just coming to look for you. Why do I hear chimes in my ears? Did you do something?"

"Get your sword" was all Harry said, pushing past her, waving his wand to magically put his shoes on himself. Gabby was right behind him pulling out her wand but turned and looked at the stunned woman.

"Now!" she ordered, and the woman's surprise changed to resolve as she darted into the house.

"Gabby, go to the house. The wards should keep anyone out, but be careful" he ordered, turning to look at her. He saw Kagari racing towards them. "Kagari, go with her. Someone's trying to break into our place. Don't engage unless attacked first, no matter who it is." They both nodded, and Gabby grabbed Kagari's arm before turning with a *pop*. Uzume came flying out the front door in her Veils, followed by Musubi in her fighting outfit.

He turned back towards the gate, ignoring Miya who'd stepped up next to him, in an outfit he'd not seen her in before. It resembled Karasuba's, but had long, black leggings that left hardly an inch of bare skin visible. The skirt and blouse were also pure leather, and they along with the cloak were pitch black. She was even wearing fingerless gloves on her hands, with spiked gauntlets.

Yeah… she looked every bit the part of Sekirei Number 01: Miya Asama, the Hannya of the North.

He didn't want to look and see if she was wearing heels of some sort, 'cause he'd not be responsible for his actions if she was.

A sudden sound of glass breaking had him wincing, covering his ears. The Sekirei had as well, before a multitude of *pops* sounded in front of them caught their attention, and many shouts were heard as balls of light were fired in their direction. A large area of the fence around the gate exploded inwards, revealing the rest of the intruding party.

Harry immediately cast multiple shield spells, deflecting or absorbing all of the attacks before he began firing return spells off at the intruders. He managed to take out several of them before they realized their surprise attack failed. Shields were being thrown up by the intruders, deflecting many of his retaliations.

Once the ringing stopped, Miya took a quiet appraisal of the situation, inwardly awed at the raven-haired man's shield protecting them. His sudden return fire, though, was all she needed to snap out of it, as she launched forward, attacking those who had landed in her yard. Musubi had joined her, while Uzume was attacking those without. Her veils kept getting deflected or cut, but they were all the diversion Harry needed to slip spells through their blind spots.

Between the four of them, the 'battle' was over in a matter of moments. Harry couldn't help but grin at Miya and Musubi: clearly, all that training with her elder had done the boisterous young woman a wonderful amount of good. He was surprised to see not one of their opponents had been killed. Clearly, Miya had been restraining herself greatly. In all honesty, she probably didn't need their help to defend the property. Nor, if he wasn't being humble about it, had he, truthfully. Certainly made cleaning up the mess easier.

But it was good working together. And now, they could get some answers.

"Uzume, sweetie, be a dear and restrain this one." He toed one of the older guys with his badge on his front, and Uzume used her veils to lift him up. His reading of Japanese was still shite, so couldn't make it out. "Miya, what does the badge say?"

The woman still hadn't sheathed her bloodless sword, a feat he'd ponder later, not that he blamed her mind you, but leaned in to read it, nonetheless. "Auror? It is a strange kanji combination." She turned towards him. "Does Auror sound familiar to you?"

He ran his fingers through his head. "Fuck." He looked around, rolling over a few more that were inside the yard. Most had the same badge on their front. "We just took out a team of Aurors." He sighed deeply. "This is not good. Not good at all."

"What's an 'Auror'?" Musubi asked, looking around. Her excitement for the battle had died down and was now looking concerned if anyone had been hurt badly.

"Magical police" he responded numbly, before swearing again skyward. "FUCK! Why the hell are they here?"

Just then, a blue sparrow flew towards him, landing on his shoulder. Gabby's voice came out of it. "Harry, the Japanese Aurors were trying to enter our property. They took down most of the wards, somehow, but weren't able to enter the house itself. The ones we added ourselves held up. They weren't happy, screaming about illegal wards. Before they could do much more, one of them called for a retreat, saying how the other team was wiped out. They all portkeyed right away.

"We're both still here. Once we saw how outnumbered we were, we snuck around back and went inside, so we didn't take any prisoners. We're still here, but most of the ward stones are damaged. Whatever they did, they somehow overloaded them from the outside."

"Fucking hell that takes a lot of power to do" he muttered, not liking the implications, before the sparrow could keep speaking.

"With how much power that would take, and that they were Japanese Aurors, for some reason we've made an enemy out of the Japanese Magical government. I have no problems making enemies of uptight fuckwads, but I don't recall us doing anything to warrant this level of aggression.

"What do you want us to do?"

With the last question, the sparrow bumped its blue head against Harry, transferring a spark of comfort towards him, before it disappeared.

"What was that?" Uzume asked, startled by the blue bird.

"A Patronus. A light construct formed by positive emotions, used to fend off creatures formed by darkness, and also used as a messenger."

"It was pretty" Musubi said with awe, causing Harry first to glance at her in surprise, then smiled at her comment. Even Miya had a tilt of her mouth at that, though wondered why he was surprised.

"Yeah, they are, Musubi" he replied, before grinning. "Let me show you another." With a flick of his wrist, his wand appeared in his hand, a feat that had the younger girls gawking at, not knowing where it'd appeared from. Even Miya was mildly surprised by its sudden appearance.

With an exaggerated wave, he orated the incantation: _**"Expecto patronum"**_. A burst of blue and silver erupted from the wand, and the gathered caught sight of the winged creature that made a lap flying around them, before coming to a gentle landing a few meters from them, slowly padding over to EJ and muzzling him.

Rubbing his companion with a smile, he turned the same smile to the three women. Musubi's bursting exciting had him nearly laughing, Miya's aw had him smiling, but it was Uzume's gawking that nearly killed him.

"THAT'S AMATERASU!" she exclaimed. That halted his laughter as he cocked his head in confusion, looking down at the winged wolf.

"I thought Amaterasu was a Japanese deity of some sort?" he replied, looking to Miya for confirmation. She nodded slowly, also looking at Uzume in confusion. "I wasn't aware that the Japanese deities had an animal form associated with them like the Egyptians."

Uzume was already waving him off. "No no… well, yes… but no I mean Amaterasu from _Ōkami_ who is based on the deity. She's represented as a winged wolf, or a wolf dragon if you will."

Harry admittedly snorted at that last part. "A wolf dragon? Like a wolf that breathes fire or something?"

"And lightning and ice, yeah."

He just gaped at her in response, cocking his head in confusion. "What exactly is this _Ōkami?_"

"A video game."

"Ah. That makes much more sense, now."

"What, yours doesn't do that?"

"To my limited knowledge, none of the Pterolyca do. But, that's admittedly to my- "

"Wait, WHAT?" she screamed, dropping the Auror she was holding, who crashed to the ground hard enough to stir with a groan. Harry hit him with a stunner without looking, looking in askance towards the Veiled Sekirei. "You're telling me that winged wolves are REAL?"

"Uh… yeah? Why wouldn't they be? Unicorns, sphinxes and chimera are real, why wouldn't," he indicated the pterolycus next to him, "these be real?"

"You never mentioned them!" He shrugged.

"You didn't ask." He shrugged again, petting the pup. "They're an endangered species, but I've a mated pair to aid in the propagation of the population. She greatly resembles my girl back home. Unfortunately, she doesn't travel well, so bringing her here wasn't an option.

"Also, she's quite attached to my 8-yr-old godson, and quite protective of him, so there was little chance of her leaving him." He patted the pup on the head, giving a slight scratch behind her ethereal ears. "Tell Gabby to come back over. The excitement is over and we've plenty of trash to sift through." With a light yip, the wolf bounded off, and Musubi squealed lightly as it did so, watching it leave.

He ran his fingers through his head, taking deep breaths. "To the matter at hand, though, I honestly have no idea what I did to piss off the magical government."

Miya turned an inquisical look at him. The "are you kidding me?" it was full of almost had him on his back foot.

"No, truly, Miya. I don't. The non-magical government, maybe. I hate both M.B.I. and Hiyamakai Enterprises, both of which have been in Tokyo much longer than I have. I've made trouble for both of them, and both have deep connections in the non-magical government. But the magical one? Unless this is the level of response for usage of magic in front of non-wizards, which it isn't, then something else is going on."

"Let us ask them, then" Miya offered diplomatically, turning towards the one that Uzume had dropped. "Can you wake him up?"

"Certainly." After indicating for Uzume to pick the Auror back up, he pointed his wand at the man, with a whispered _**ennervate**_the aged Auror stirred. Getting his bearings, he looked up at the young man holding his wand at his side. If he was surprised by the woman next to him holding a sword, he didn't let on. Though, when he tried to move, he found he couldn't. The white cloth holding his ankles and wrists were restraining him, and he didn't dare chance looking to see by what.

"Release me" he ordered the man with a wand. When neither of them moved, he added more. "I am Senior Auror Saijo. You have assaulted a team of aurors here to apprehend a criminal. Release me and turn him over, and I will see your sentences reduced."

"Or…" Harry countered, taking a step forward, "we kill all of you now, transfigure you to fish food, and dump your bodies in the river."

"Doing so would make you an enemy of the state. And when you are caught, you will be executed." Harry snorted.

"You and your team just invaded private property for absolutely no reason at all. The owner of this property," he turned and indicated the sword-wielder, "is well within her rights to defend herself and all its occupants. As her good friend and frequent visitor, I assisted her, as did two of her tenants."

"Attacking Aurors is a crime, young man."

"So is trespassing, old man" Uzume's voice teased from behind him. The auror tried turning to see the voice-owner, but couldn't turn his head enough to do so. He was able to determine that whoever it was was likely responsible for his inability to move his limbs.

"I am not trespassing. This property was seized by the Japanese government. All of you are in violation of... "

"Stow it." The venom in Harry's voice surprised the aged auror, who went to retort, but was cut off. "You're either lying to us, or are going off of inaccurate information. This property is under ownership of one Miya Asama, the woman here beside me with the very sharp sword and looking very upset at your claims."

"Miya Asama? She's dead" the man verbosed, though with mild uncertainty. That _did_ surprise the gathered group, even Musubi, who the auror hadn't seen yet, was wide-eyed. "We were here to apprehend one EJ Black who illegally claimed land in this area."

"You mean when I legally, through several governments, both magical and non, purchased nearly two square kilometers of land surrounding this domicile? When I paid all the fees, taxes and whatnots to have wards put up around it? You mean when I repeatedly had to fend off several other interested parties from bribing and muscling their way into forcing me to sell, or outright claim it as theirs? Which illegal claim?"

"By Order of the Japanese Ministry for Magic, you, Evans James Black are in violation of code…"

"Again, stow it. Where's your warrant?"

"You will address me as Senior Auror Saijo. And I do not answer to you."

"International Confederation of Wizards Statute 347 Article VII Paragraph 5 Subsection B: _All intrusions made by Aurors on private property in the interest of apprehension of wanted suspect or suspects must be accompanied by warrant of authorization. Said warrant must be provided on request for purview to all persons in attendance of the immediate and intruded locale at the time of the incursion. Violation of this may result in compromisation of warrant's validity: including but not restricted to trespassing and invasion of privacy. Failure to adhere to the doctrine may potentially escalate to invalidation of all active warrants against the intended suspect, or immediate Stays of Execution against any further attempts of apprehension at the invaded locale or locales. Any and all evidence gathered, collected or observed at the aggravated locale or locales is immediately declared void and inadmissible in Court._"

The senior Auror couldn't help but be impressed by the - as far as he could tell from memory - verbatim rehearsal of an ICW Statute. He glanced down towards the ground, thinking quickly before careening his head. "Could you turn me around so I can see where she is?" The green-eyed man nodded at - who he presumed - was the person holding him up, and he was rotated towards the rest of his team.

A fourth person, a busty young woman with a short skirt, was moving the ones in the yard against the fence, laying them in line on their backs. He could see pieces of wood, what he was guessing were parts of the destroyed fence, dotting the ground around them. He scanned the dozen or so in the yard, before looking out into the alley. "There, the blue-haired woman in the back with the black coat and blue scarf. She's the team leader. She should have the warrant on her."

The man who claimed to be EJ stepped towards the woman in question. He poked and prodded with his wand, before levitating a folded-up clutch of papers he knew to be the warrant. He held out his hand, and the Auror was surprised when the paper didn't fall into it, but remained elevated above it as he waved his wand around him.

Harry was once again thankful for his training, as the paranoia it instilled in him paid off right then. "Really? A portkey on the warrant? I must say, that's either awfully clever or awfully paranoid."

"What's a 'portkey', EJ-san?" Miya had stepped forward towards him, all but ignoring the Auror, her sword unsheathed in her hand. She'd picked up the need to maintain a familiar appearance quickly, but it didn't diminish her curiosity.

"It's a magical construct capable of transporting a person, or group of people, great distances. The history of them is fascinating, and will have to be saved for another time. For the moment, however, a portkey is a simple way for Aurors like these intruders to send their suspects straight to a holding cell without having to accompany them."

"Is that why you aren't touching it?"

"Exactly why. Portkeys can be activated in a number of ways: they can be set to activate at a specific time, or by a password or passphrase. Even can be set to activate if a certain level of stress is put on them, though that one is more recent discovery. However, this one in particular is most fascinating, because it's none of those. In fact, it is keyed to me and me alone." He waved his wand again, and the papers lined up next to each other. He was surprised to find them all in English. Because that wasn't suspicious, or convenient, at all.

"What do you mean 'keyed' to you?" He turned towards the woman, who was now standing next to him. He took a moment to think over how to respond, and whether or not he should make their conversation private or not. Deciding that he was already looking at a headache for this, might as well go all-in.

"All magical beings have a unique magical signature to them" he began. "Wizards, witches, elves, goblins, dragons, unicorns, etcetera etcetera… essentially, any magical being has a magical signature, and each their own, like a fingerprint. Magical creatures of the same species will often have ones that highly resemble others of their own, nearly imperceptible differences, but the differences are there.

"In sapient magical beings, like myself and Gabby, those differences are enough to create a form of magical lock with them. Like a fingerprint scanner or optical scanner, both of which identify unique characteristics of their respect mediums, we are capable of doing the same with our magical signatures. They're difficult to create, as they have to be keyed _exactly_ to the intended target or targets, or the whole construct will fail."

"So, whoever is after you, knows the exact… frequency… of your magical signature?" Miya hypothesized. Not really having a better way to describe it to someone unfamiliar with magical theory, he simply nodded in response before answering.

"That's about as accurate as I can describe it to you at this moment, but essentially, yes. Magical signatures are more unique than even fingerprints and optical character recognition, as those can be duplicated easily. Magical signatures cannot. Whoever is after me has a history with me, or has done a LOT of research. Neither option particularly bodes well for me." He was already forming a list of possible suspects, and one in particular sat very firmly at number one. Miya proved her intelligence once again, as she came to the same conclusion.

"You were awfully worried about that General from your former organization. Is it possible he has finally made his first attempt at neutralizing you?"

"I'm wondering the same thing, Miya. I have a lot of enemies as Harry Potter, but very few of them know me as EJ Black. And those that EJ Black has as enemies, very few of them are magical; the likelihood of EJ Black's enemies making the correlation is very slim. With the exception of a couple unknowns, none of which I've ever performed magic in front of due to the Statute of Secrecy, most that I've had grievances with as EJ Black think me just an up-and-coming doctor who is also a shrewd businessman. And none of them would've been able to get my magical signature off me without my usage of magic."

"How many of your enemies know you as both, though? Could it possibly be one of them?"

"That, my dear Miya, is the real question. My former organization may very likely be behind this, but do I truly count them as an enemy? That's the issue. How many of my not-friends are actually enemies? There are only two ways to get someone's magical signature: scan them while they're unconscious, or spend a large amount of time around them as they cast magic." He sighed in frustration. "Worse, is this warrant isn't really giving me many clues."

She looked at it, then leaned closer squinting her eyes. "Is it… in English?" Standing upright, she scanned the gathered Aurors, all of which were distinctively and decidedly Japanese. "That's highly unusual considering no one here looks foreign."

"Agreed. Which in itself could be a clue… or a misdirection. Someone knows me. Making the warrant a keyed portkey was a safeguard. Whoever it is gave me the benefit of the doubt that I'd defeat all of these Aurors."

"That's highly arrogant of you, sir!" the forgotten Auror called out, only to be silenced by a veil covering his mouth.

"And yet, your team is knocked out and you're hanging there by your arms. It would seem my arrogance is well-founded, _sir_." The accompanying sneer to the emphasis lent weight to just what he thought of the pompous little man. To his credit, not that Uzume gave him the chance to do otherwise, he didn't even try to retort, but glanced again at his felled team members.

"Well, now. Someone is definitely doing their research on me. I should be flattered." He tapped the middle of the three pages with his wand tip. "I've been accused of '_aggressive acquisition of Japanese territories, including but not limited to forced sales by unwilling local persons and companies, to bribery of government officials permitting vast amounts of rural properties to be acquired with minimal to no regard for acquisition policies.' _Someone has gotten creative."

"Did you really buy that much land, EJ-san?"

"I did. All legally. It has taken Gabby nearly 18 months to finalize the whole thing, as this was what we wanted to avoid. Though… not to this degree…

"What's really strange, outside of this warrant being in English, is that the magical purchase of this land through the Japanese Ministry was finalized over a year ago. There are no magical… anything, for nearly three kilometers in any direction from this Inn. No businesses, no homes, no creatures, no plants, no being whatsoever, nothing. That's why I chose this area; because it was prime real estate for us to take advantage of. Odd, considering the size of the city, but we certainly weren't going to complain.

"As far as the magical government is concerned, this Inn and all its accompanying property, belongs to me."

Miya turned towards him, her expression flickering between confusion and anger. He saw this and chose, wisely, to elaborate.

"The magical government often goes around the non-magical one, and just as often ignores it altogether. Land disputes being one of them. We wizards don't actually need that much space, because we can create more of it with charms and enchantments. This whole Inn and its land? Give me a couple weeks, and I could have a mirror of it built in the alleyway. From the outside it would look much smaller, but the inside could be ten times the size and space.

"With magic, I could build a mansion in a suitcase if I really wanted to. I don't, but it's possible.

"I wanted all this land so I could make money off of it. A portion of the land I bought could be turned into a magical commercial hub in a few years, from which I'd make a small fortune from rent alone. As far as the magical government is concerned, I own this land. Which is why I was able to put these wards up in the first place without these Aurors showing up sooner.

"On the non-magical side, though, you do. Yes, I tried throwing lots of money at you to get you to give it up, but you refused. Obviously. And, now that I know why, I can't say I'm sorry I failed. Cause I'm not. It's a quaint, homey place. I'd hate to see it go anywhere. Becoming friends was a nice boon to go with it, making our dilemma much easier to adjust to."

"'Our dilemma'?"

"As far as the world is concerned, between both worlds, we co-own this place. Which brings us back to these pieces of paper and what our auror friend here said, how you're supposedly dead and I'm forcing people to sell."

"For those of us who aren't geniuses, can you repeat, like, all of that? And in some sort of straightforward manner? You lost me. What does any of that have to do with these guys?" Harry stifled a chuckle at Uzume's request, then bit another at Miya's smirk towards him, before both turned towards the woman.

"The simple answer? In my world, I've owned all of this land for over a year. No complaints, no negative reactions. Hell, the Japanese Ministry practically shoved the paperwork down my throat to get me to sign faster so we could get to the part where I handed them money.

"So with all of that in mind, and absolutely no government mandates or other nonsensical bureaucratic crap, why the hell did they suddenly send two full teams of Aurors after me for a resolved, non-aggravated and unorthodox issue as land dispute? It makes no sense.

"And on top of all of that, the warrant itself is in English. ENGLISH. It's almost as if…" he suddenly trailed off as a new thought occurred to him. Turning towards the warrant itself again, a new level of comprehension dawned on his face as his eyes widened. "It's almost as if whoever it was that sent them knew I had trouble reading Japanese" he whispered.

"Is that why mine is in French?" a new voice asked from behind them. He turned and saw his bond-mate walking up with Kagari next to her, her wand pointing at a similar-looking group of papers in front of her.

"That one's in French?" he repeated, before a new meaning of her question hit him. "Wait, 'yours?' Is that warrant for you?" She nodded before responding.

"Yeah, one of them dropped it when they retreated. Which is strange, because I have no trouble at all reading Japanese. Isn't that one just for you?" His eyes widened in shock, as he hadn't even looked at that part yet. He'd merely assumed it was, as the Auror even said it was for EJ Black. He turned back to it, scanning for the suspects listed, and started.

It wasn't addressed to EJ – or even Evans James - Black, as the Auror had said. The warrant was for Harry James Potter.

.

* * *

Later that night, a figure was standing on a rooftop overlooking the city. Her black robes billowing out behind her, as her blonde hair did the same.

Her arms crossed, face set in a scowl, she watched the humans scurry from one place to another in this wretched hive she was confined to. Oh how she hated it. How she hated them all.

And worse, the 'beloved professor' had just told the whole city that she was still unwinged. As were several of her siblings.

"_**What an awful farce!"**_ she exclaimed angrily.

"Tsukiumi" came a familiar voice behind her.

The Water Sekirei, Number 9: Tsukiumi, turned and faced the newcomer. Her 'rival', Homura, stood there looking at her, donned in his usual black getup, mask and all. Part of her wanted to immediately attack, but a greater part had no interest the act at all.

"_**Let's not fight. We've just recovered."**_ If her simple request surprised the man, he didn't let it show, merely nodded. She spun and returned to her vigil, as Homura stepped up next to her.

They stood there in a silence for several minutes, observing the going-ons of the city.

"Why are you here?" she suddenly asked. To be frank, she had a feeling she already knew, and the thought angered her to no end.

"_**You do know, right? That the 'Sekirei Plan' has moved into the second stage. It means the required number of Sekirei are now winged. I think you know this, but this place here, Tokyo, in order to make it a fit place for Sekirei to fight, it was 'configured'. Now the unwinged Sekirei, including me and you, number merely **_6 _**people.**_

"_**Also, the winged Sekirei can now release their true abilities. You want to be the 'strongest' right? So why don't you seek an Ashikabi, so you can be winged?"**_

The blonde woman spun to her companion irate. "_**Don't talk nonsense! An Ashikabi is just a common monkey! **_This is merely a method to permit an uncouth Philistine to violate my person! I will not allow it! NEVER!" She screamed, before clasping a hand to her heart. With a sniffle, she turned away.

"_**But… lately… it's really weird, like so… in my heart. My heart feels a little fluttery. This irritating sensation goes on and on." **_Homura watched some of the angry woman's shell come off, much to his surprise. It seemed she'd stumbled upon the truth all on her own, and went to voice it.

"Tsukiumi, that is…" but he was cut off.

"I know! If this is the reaction towards an Ashikabi, then it's a perfect chance. I'll definitely find him… and then kill him" she said adamantly. Homura just held his head. _'Three steps forward, two steps back.'_

"Anyway, you bastard, you only talk about me, but what about you?"

The accusation caught him off-guard, and he almost spilled the beans about Gabby. But, managed to hold his tongue at the last moment, deflecting. "Ah, me? I'm not gonna become… Those of the fire, are hated by the gods." He lost himself in the pain of the near-winging that he'd almost went through, only for something to reject it, and stopped it like a brick wall.

Had he not been so absorbed, he would have seen the sympathetic look on the woman's face. While she did not want one for herself, who was she to deny others their wish for happiness. And she knew the man next to her wanted to be winged badly.

"_**That's right, Tsukiumi."**_ She turned back to him, and saw a look in his eye that usually preceded a mischievous remark. _**"I can clearly see your panties… again!" **_

Her eyes widened as her hands flew to the bottom of her robe, pulling it and her skirt down. _**"The wind is strong! You're not supposed to look!"**_ she snarled, turning back towards the city. The mood ruined, she made a final declaration. "Mark my words, _**even without an Ashikabi, I'll be the strongest! Just wait and see!"**_

Elsewhere, a messy raven-haired boy sneezed.


	9. Mighty Harmonist

**A/N: What a weekend! Both my teams (NCAA and NFL) lost, both by a touchdown, both embarrassingly. Still have MNF to see if my Fantasy Football teams are going to lose as well. Pessimistic, yeah, but I'm bitter. Rather lose all my FF teams if it means my two football teams win. Oof. **

**On the positive side, met my housemate's bf finally. Giggity. Poor guy didn't know what hit him, between her bff and I. We wrecked the new couple in Spades for hours on end. Muahahaha!**

**And my prize was babysitting duty for the bff's kids. How the bleeding hell that happened I still don't know. One moment we were all gathered at my place, next thing I know, all the adults are gone and I'm left with two rugrats, wondering where their mom just ran off to. **

**Took them to the movies to see Lion King, cause none of us had seen it yet. I was disappointed. I missed Jeremy Irons. I went home and re-watched "Be Prepared" from the animation like 20x to ease the pain.**

**All of this is really just an excuse to cover the fact I put this on here Friday as I promised... only to forget to hit "Post New Chapter" like a dum-dum. Took a friend asking me "where the French toast is your next chapter?" for me to realize my blunder. Yes, she actually said French Toast. Anything stronger than "oh snap" and she starts cringing. She's weird. I love her. I'm gonna be in her wedding. She and her fiancée are disgustingly adorable. I'm gonna be her "Man of Honor" hahaha. Her sister can suck it.**

**Anywho! Here's the latest rendition of the Jade Ashikabi. Constructive criticism is always welcome, as are any ideas. I pretty much know what the destination is, but the journey is yet to be written. New paths are always welcome.**

**As I was painfully reminded today as I ogled the super fancy 65" computer screen my neighbor utilizes in envy, I am not the owner of recognizable characters. Ciao!**

* * *

_April 22, 2020_

_Izumo Inn_

_._

'_What a crazy life I'm living' _Minato thought, looking up at the ceiling, hands behind his head. Without moving, he could tell Shi and Ku were laying on him. Absently, he wondered where Musubi was, but figured she'd either gone training, or her second persona was with Black-sama.

Speaking of the other black-haired man, Minato didn't know what to think. The man didn't have any of Minato's insecurities, was wealthy, and was very comfortable around women. Even Landlady-dono, who scared everyone… except Black-sama.

Or Potter-sama. He didn't know. There was more to it than he knew, but didn't feel it was his place to ask questions about it. Not to mention, whatever history was associated with the name 'Potter' seemed to be a complicated one, as Miya-sama also knew him by that name. So did that other Sekirei, Akitsu.

So did Yume. It gave him a headache.

Ku stirred on his hip, and he shifted a bit until she stopped moving, mumbling in her sleep again. Asama-dono was going to come in and tell them to leave soon, he just knew it, but he would let them sleep until then. Shi was across his chest, looking happy and peaceful. Which was strange, and comforting, he thought. The girl was very shy during the day, and scared of pretty much everything, but right now she looked perfectly content.

The sight made him smile.

Two women sleeping on him, a third he is… sharing?... with Black-sama, and now he's having nightmares about a fourth. He shivered a tad at the thought of the austere woman who repeatedly visited him in his sleep. The dreams were more akin to nightmares: invidious, insidious, and all kinds of hideous, they never ended well for him. All because of the Plan.

The Sekirei Plan.

How had he gotten himself into this mess? Less than a month ago he was stressing out about college entrance exams, living off of a stipend from his mother, and without a girlfriend.

Now… he had three - well, two-and-a-half? Maybe two-and-a-quarter? Musu-Yume was confusing, and Ku wasn't even half grown yet - women that threw themselves at him. Musubi landed on him and Black-sama, Ku had attempted jumping out of a 25 meter-high tree to him, before tackling him once she was on the ground, and Shi just walked up and kissed him out of the blue. It was so weird.

Plus, he was living in an Inn run by a woman scarier than his mother, co-habitating with the most immodest woman ever by the name of Uzume, a professional host named Kagari, a woman who gives his sister a run for her money in perversion, and his three Sekerei.

Which brought him back to Musubi. Or Yume. Musu-Yume? He sighed, rubbing his temples for a moment before returning his hands to resting his head.

It had taken him a while, but he'd eventually realized when Musubi became Yume and vice-versa. Black-sama had said the easiest was in the eyes, and he was right. Musubi's were brown, this Yume-girl's were purple. Their demeanors were different as well: Musubi was very relaxed, innocent and carefree, Yume had a natural sultriness to her, along with a devout resolution and a sense of battle-hardened cynicism. It was an odd dichotomy that gave him whiplash.

He'd only spoken, knowingly, with Yume a couple times, but she was vastly different from Musubi personality-wise.

It was unnerving, talking to two women in the same body. He'd heard of schizophrenia, and sometimes compared it to that, but Black-sama, Yume-san and Miya-dono had all said it wasn't. Yume was a completely separate person that was cohabitating the same body as Musubi. He hadn't heard the reason why, and it was a sore subject between Miya and EJ, so he had dropped it. But something suggested it might have to do with Miya's husband dying, and the thought was more than enough to keep his questions to himself.

EJ Black. He had, admittedly, Googled the man. He was fairly well-known in the medical world, apparently. A prodigy by all accounts, he was considered the leading authority on rare illnesses and diseases, which had brought him to Japan in the first place, to heal Chiho. Sahashi had considered asking his mother about him, seeing as she world in pharmaceuticals, but had relented thus far.

MBI. This whole 'game' stemmed from that company that had kept his mother away for much of his childhood. He'd never known what company she worked for growing up, but now that he had a name, and the reason, so much of the secrecy started making more sense. More than a few times he'd gotten the sense she would choose MBI over him and Yukari in a heartbeat, but would often disperse with that thought as it was likely just him being childish.

But still… how much of his life had revolved, or been affected by, MBI? His mother works for them. His grandmother had hinted she'd met her father through it, whoever he is. Was. Who knew anymore. Yukari no longer cared.

Yukari. Matsu had let slip that his sister had met a Sekirei, though refused to reveal who that Sekirei was. He considered just asking her, but the thought of what she'd do to him once she discovered how many Sekireis _he_ had scared him.

And now, there was another that was terrifying him in his dreams. His nightmares. Tsukiumi. He knew it was her, as it was the same woman that Matsu had shown them all in her room. And just like with Ku, it was getting stronger: that feeling of her calling out to him. Though, he highly doubted the woman needed - let alone wanted - to be rescued, if his dreams were anything to go by.

'_I should talk to Black-sama, see if he's had anything similar happen to him.'_ The guy really did confuse him. He was so confident and comfortable around beautiful women. Worse, or better yet, he wasn't trying to force himself on any Sekirei. Minato had no doubt the man could've had all three of his Sekirei for himself. Considering both Ku AND Musubi had each, at one point, thrown themselves at him, it wouldn't have been difficult.

And Shi. Minato found himself most grateful for Black-sama's consideration regarding Shi. He'd remembered how bad of shape the girl had been that night EJ-sama brought her home. He could've taken her and the girl wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. But, he hadn't. He gave her space, never pushed her, wouldn't even attempt to talk to her if she didn't initiate. And then congratulated Sahashi when Shi chose _him_ to be her Ashikabi. It was weird, how he had three Sekirei and Black-sama only had…

Well… actually… that's where it all got really confusing, he realized. Technically, as Black-sama had said a few times, Matsu was his only Sekirei. But… the whole sharing Musu-Yume had to be considered, so he really had two, as Yume was still alive in some capacity.

Then this Akitsu. He really didn't understand that whole situation. It seemed far too personal, as no one was ever happy when the ice woman came up in conversation. He really hoped it worked out for Black-sama, as he was really broken up about her. Discussing the austere woman was the only time he'd seen the doctor's confidence flounder. Sahashi actually found himself appreciating the man more as a result: it made him seem more human.

Ku mumbled something incoherently, before tightening her arms around his blanket-covered knee. He smiled some more, as Shi also shifted. He absently laid a hand on her back, and her content face turned into a soft smile at his touch.

Which suddenly had the end of a blade on it.

He blinked a few times, then immediately started shaking in fear as he followed it up to its wielder. Only to blink some more at Musubi standing there with Miya's sword in-hand, a wide smirk on her lips that turned into a giggle as his pale face and terrified eyes met hers that were full of mischievousness.

"Gotcha" the woman - and Minato recognized it not as Musubi's but Yume's voice - tittered, and Minato subsequently dropped his head back down in relief, the *thunking* sound waking up his two co-habs.

"Up and at em, Sahashi. Don't want Miya catching these two in here with you do we?" She tittered again at Minato's shudder, and shouldered the sword. "Musubi will be out training with Miya. And Matsu wants a word with you when you're awake. EJ-sama's already in there with her, they're waiting for you."

"Thanks, Yume, I'll be there shortly" he responded. The coquettish woman nodded with a smirk and departed.

'_She might be worse than Uzume'_ the boy thought, helping the two girls to their feet to return them to their rooms, thinking about yet another newly revealed side of Sekirei Number 8. _'Suddenly, sharing Musu-Yume doesn't sound so bad'_ he chuckled to himself before heading to Matsu's room. _'If that's what Yume is like with her friends, I can only imagine what she's like with her Ashikabi._' The thought had him shuddering.

.

* * *

"Ah, there's our resident harem-master" was what greeted Minato as he entered Matsu's room. He almost turned around and left, as Matsu was topless. Granted, her back was to him, and EJ was blocking most of her, but he could tell. She was too buxom for him not to.

"You're… oooh… one to… yes, more… talk, EJ-sama" Matsu mumbled out. Minato had no idea what he was doing to her, and felt a nosebleed coming.

"Well, if you insist" Harry responded, and the younger man heard some shuffling.

"No! No no, please don't stop sir, that felt sooo good!" Minato wanted to run. He wanted to turn around. So he just stayed facing the wall, holding his nose, fighting his embarrassment.

"Perhaps after Minato leaves. Wouldn't want to scare the poor boy."

"He can watch and learn for his own Sekirei, pleeeeeeease?" she whined. He had no idea what was going on, but definitely didn't want to stick around if they were going to continue.

EJ laughed. "No. Now, pull your dress up, and tell the class what you've been up to."

Another whine, a mumbled "yes, sir", some rusting of clothing, followed by some keyboard taps, Minato was told it was safe to turn around. Upon doing so, he immediately noticed the woman's dress was on backwards and her hair a mess. Pointedly not looking at his fellow male, he took a spot close enough to see the monitor, but not so close to risk being drug into whatever they were doing beforehand. The smirk he could see on Black-sama's face out of the corner of his eye alerted him the elder male was not deceived at all.

"So!" the redhead squeaked, before coughing to regain some resemblance of composure, and sending a pouting face at her Ashikabi's smirk. "So" she repeated more sedately, facing her monitors, "Sahashi, do you remember when we were talking about the unwinged Sekirei that still remained?"

At first he nodded, then realized Matsu hadn't turned around. "Uh, yeah, I think by the end of that conversation there were only six left, right?"

"Correct, and there still are. However, I would wager that number will change shortly." She looked at Harry, who nodded towards her, and she hit a few more keystrokes.

Up on the screen showed a picture of Sekirei 107: Shiina. Next to it was another picture of the same boy, in a dress for some reason, with a girl he recognized.

"Yukari?"

"Your sister ran into him, literally, several days ago. In fact…" she brought up the ATM footage that showed Yukari and Shiina colliding, a strange interaction, then the duo leaving shortly before Harry and Gabby arrived, "EJ-sama just missed meeting her."

"Small world" Harry muttered, shaking his head with a smile.

"It really is" Matsu agreed. She hit another stroke. "Look who I just found, and who they're talking to. And he's reacting to her heavily. You can see it in his breathing and facial expressions when he looks at her."

Up on the screen was the same duo, and his sister was talking animatedly with a familiar blonde-haired woman, standing next to two other familiar persons. "Wait, isn't that…?"

"Well, I'll be damned" Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Gabby went with Chiho and Uzume to go shopping. What're the odds? Any chance of getting audio?"

"Sorry, EJ-sama, it's a feed from the mall. They don't usually have audio due to the noise level."

"Bummer. But, this discovery with Minato's sister isn't the only reason we're here, is it?"

She smirked at the elder man. "Of course not, EJ-sama. I _always_ want you here. And what's wrong with having an audience?" she asked sultrily, sending a coy wink over her shoulder towards the younger, who busted into another nosebleed. With a titter, and an "eep!" at being pinched in the side, she giggled as she turned to her screens. Several more keystrokes later, and two more women popped up.

"No, what I wanted to show you two were these two. Number 13: Tsubaki, and Number 9: Tsukiumi. The former is attracting a lot of attention in underground fighting rings, as well as multiple rumors from the darker sides of town. She's currently accredited with the death of six men, and one woman: outside of the rings." Minato gulped, hoping he wasn't being asked to confront her. But the thought was derailed, as the hacker drew his attention back to the blonde. "The latter has torn a path across town the past few days, resulting in over a dozen hospitalized men." She brought up a video that was recorded from someone's phone by the look of it.

"_How dare you presume to think yourself worthy of laying thou vile hands upon myself! I should end thy miserable existence and ensure no other women suffer at thy hands! Filthy monkey!"_ With that, a powerful blast of water shot from her hand, sending the man careening into a wall, before the blonde took to the roof.

Matsu rewound it, pausing on the water blast.

"The dozen attacks I've confirmed are her all were water-assisted. Seven had bystander witnesses, six of which said the attacks were completely unprovoked, that she just appeared near them and started yelling at the guy." She tapped a few more keys, and some reports popped up. "And they're getting worse, more violent."

"All of them are male?"

Matsu nodded, before an alert from another monitor caught her attention. It was next to Harry, so she merely leaned over him, and his left hand settled on her rump. Minato had to tear his eyes from the sight.

"Make that 13 confirmed. This one found in the middle of a street, drowning, saved via CPR."

Both men shared a look. It was clear she needed to be stopped, but how? The only options were eliminating her entirely, or…

"Ashikabis" both voiced simultaneously, and Matsu looked back at them questioningly.

"She's eliminating potential Ashikabis" Harry repeated, and Minato was growing paler. Matsu sat back on her haunches, her Ashikabi's hand sliding up her back, rubbing in small circles.

"How do you come to that conclusion?" she asked, before looking at the other man.

"What she said, and the attacks themselves. These attacks aren't random. Unless she was a rape victim of all of them, and we can't completely ignore that possibility, it's more likely these are men she's reacted to on some level." He tapped the screen with the victimology information, not realizing neither of the other two were paying him any attention, as the redhead was eyeing the other Ashikabi with concern. "Look, three of these guys aren't even from this continent. Four of the others are from other countries here in Asia. Of the six locals, two aren't from Tokyo. One from Tokyo is 17, and another is 42. The odds of all thirteen being in on something as horrible as a rape on one woman is… beyond imaginable. No, I'd wager she's roaming the city, eliminating those she's reacting to as a Sekirei, and taking steps to prevent them from winging her."

Minato was physically shaking now. "Minato… what is it?"

Harry turned towards the young male, who was whiter than Matsu's gown. He cocked his head, before another realization hit him. "You've been dreaming about her too, haven't you?"

Matsu's eyes widened in excited understanding, and she turned to her screens, typing furiously. Harry kept his eyes on his friend.

"She said she'd kill me" he whispered. "I've been dreaming about her for four days now. She always claims she'll kill me."

"Well, we know which of you gets the girl then" Matsu remarked with a laugh. "Shame, that, I had hoped it would be EJ-sama." She didn't look to read the room. "Probably has to do with Minato having all three of his Sekirei in one piece" she theorized, stopping for a moment, looking at the ceiling. "It's really not all that strange, now that I think about it. More than likely the two of you interacted on some level, something simple as a casual bump in the street." She send a look at her own Ashikabi. "After all, that's how I first met EJ-sama here, and haven't looked back since."

"That's ok, if Black-sama wants her, he can have her." Both turned to him, and he was holding his knees up. "I don't really want to die, if it's all the same. Black-sama could handle her much better than I could."

Harry was looking thoughtful, as if seriously considering the boy's words. He turned a quick glance at Matsu, who immediately spun to her keyboard. "Locating Number 9: Tsukiumi."

"_**If you had a telepathic wave with her, you can use your heart to find her."**_ The soft comment from the doorway had all three spinning around. Musubi was standing there with Ku next to her. "We can go look for the girl from your dream, _**and somehow, I'll make her our friend."**_

"_**You might get killed"**_ Mastu provided, completely unhelpfully. That got her a spank from Harry. Clearly she was of the agreement her own Ashikabi should be claiming the angry woman.

"Don't be mean, Matsu. He's not gonna die." Harry turned towards the boy. "If you want her, we'll go get her." Minato went to protest, but Harry held his hand up. "Just as with Ku, it's _you_ who has been dreaming of her. Not I." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I truly hate thinking of the Sekirei this way, but in short, you get 'dibs'."

"But what if she tries to kill me?" he whined, then edited himself. "WHEN she tries to kill me! You saw what she did to those others! And they didn't even have to say anything!"

"That's why I'm going with you, kid" Potter declared. "I'm not saying inveigle her or anything. Just talk. Musubi and I will both be there as backup, but I doubt you'll actually need it."

"And me!" Ku's high-pitched voice threw out as she stood there with arms akimbo. The sight had the group at large smiling at her determination, the tension in the room lightening.

Minato went to protest, but Musubi's stomach rumbled, which completely broke the tension as she covered with her hands. "After lunch, apparently" he added, causing another round of light laughs.

"If you've finished with your secret meeting, everyone, lunch is ready" came Miya's voice from outside the room. Harry shook his head, wondering how much of the 'secret meeting' was actually secret.

As Minato and Kusano leave, Musubi turns to follow but, Harry called her back. "Yume, wait." The shift was mostly subtle, but even from the back both EJ and Matsu could see it. She slowly turned, taking stock of the room at large, before focusing on the duo.

"I see the change-over is getting easier" Matsu commented, and Yume nodded.

"Yes. Since running into Harry, I've become more and more aware of the world around me."

"What was it like before?" he asked.

"Before, I was restricted to only what Musubi took in. Which, I'm sorry to say, is not much. She's not the most observant girl."

"Yeah, we've noticed" Harry remarked as Matsu nodded. "I wonder if some of that is your fault, to be honest."

"Mine?" the violet-eyed woman asked in wonder. "How is it mine?"

"Well…" he drew out, wondering how much he should reveal. "Long story short, I have some history with sharing my body with a second soul." Before either could press, he held his hand up. "Not today. Just know that I've experience with it. And it isn't pleasant. Granted, you did it for a good reason" he reassured the woman, who nodded slowly. "But, as you're no doubt aware, this isn't healthy long-term. For either of you."

"I know, Harry" she answered softly, shaking her head. "But, unless you're able to get my body back, or grow me a new one, I don't know what else to do."

"I know. I'm not accusing you, Yume" he said softly, taking her into his arms. "I've not spoken with Musubi about it, but I can't imagine this being easy on her either. Several times when you've shifted back, she mentions black-outs. I fear she may not even be aware of what's going on. Which, if it were me, would absolutely terrify me."

"That's why you don't talk to Yume very much, isn't it, EJ-sama?" Matsu asked, suddenly understanding.

The man nodded. "It happened to me once. Thankfully, only once. But that was enough. I woke up in a different city altogether, with no recollection of how I got there." He shook his head at the memory. "Anyways, I said not today, and there I go and start rambling. What I wanted to talk to you about was, well, pretty much what you've been doing: watching over Musubi. She is battle-crazy. Not a bad thing, but she'll likely jump into fights she's not fully prepared for.

"Point in fact…" he turned to Matsu, who hit a couple strokes and brought Tsukiumi's profile back up. "Meet Number 9: Tsukiumi. Minato has been dreaming about her, as you probably heard. From what Uzume has told Gabby and I, is that there is a very large power gap between herself as Number 10 and this Tsukiumi Number 9. Would you agree with that assessment?"

The woman nodded. "I'm afraid so." She sighed, thinking on how to explain. "What we have been told, and some of which I came to my own conclusions about, we eight single digits have an advantage over the others: we were already in the fetal stage when we were found. The other 99 were only fertilized eggs. Our further development prevented our "adjustors" from doing too much to us. That includes our overall strength."

"So, in reality, Musubi and Shi could easily be as strong as you two had MBI not fucked with them?"

She nodded. "Pretty much. At least, that's what several of us came to the conclusion of."

"'Several of us'. What do you mean? Who?"

"I think that is quite enough for today, don't you think, Yume?" came Miya's sweet voice. Matsu was the only one who jumped in surprise, but the other two turned towards her. "Lunch is ready, and we don't want it getting cold now before you set out, do we?"

But EJ wasn't ready to give up just yet. "What's your part in all of this, Miya? Yume just said only eight single digits. Matsu also mentioned only 107 'viable' Sekirei. Both of which mean one is unaccounted for… I can only logically assume that one is you in both instances: Number 1. So…" he stepped towards her, seeing Miya's eyes hardening as he did so. "Where do you fit in?"

The two stared at each other for several minutes. Both Matsu and Yume stared on, exchanging several worried glances, before their landlady broke the silence. "We both have questions, Potter-san. Until I have the answers to mine, you will not receive the answers to yours. Is that clear?"

Before he could answer, one of the monitors let out an alert. All three turned towards the redhead, who was bringing it up on screen. "Tsukiumi?" EJ asked, and she shook her head.

"No, it's…" but cut off at seeing Miya's look behind Potter. "It can wait" she added meekly, hitting a keystroke and the monitor went blank.

He turned and looked at the puissant woman again, who met his gaze before turning towards the door. "Lunch is waiting" she declared, leaving the room. Harry shook his head. _'Why am I attracted to such dangerous women?'_

.

* * *

"Alright, so who's on bodyguard duty for Minato?" They were all gathered on the porch of Izumo Inn, preparing to hunt down the Water Sekirei. Kagari had ran off again, Gabby, Chiho and Uzume hadn't returned from shopping yet, and Miya had begged off. So the five of them were on their own.

"Hey! I'm not that…"

"ME! I'll guard Onii-san!" Ku's high-pitched voice called out. She was carrying a small, potted plant, and was holding it above her head.

"That's a big responsibility, Ku-chan, think you're up for it?" Harry teased, and she leveled her most fierce gaze at him… which meant it was absolutely adorable and Harry had to fight to keep from smiling at the girl.

"I am a big girl! I will protect my Ashikabi!" she declared. Shi, who'd decided to accompany them (meaning, going with her Ashikabi that in no way, shape or form had anything to do with avoiding being left alone with Miya) was giggling from behind her oversized sleeves, as was Miya from the doorway.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Minato whined, receiving several "NO!"s in return, including Ku's. He sagged his head, before bowing to the little girl. _**"My life is entrusted to you Ku-chan."**_ She was looking very proud of herself, which sent Shi and Miya into another round of giggles. Harry shook his head while Musubi just smiled.

"Alright then, let's get this show on the road" he said, tapping his ear. "Comm check, Matsu, do you read?"

"Loud and clear, stud."

"You realize everyone else is listening, right?" he lightly admonished, seeing Minato and Shi both getting red-faced. A loud "eek!" told him she'd forgotten that little tidbit, and he shook his head again.

"I think we're set on comms. Last sighting of Tsukiumi?"

"Camera caught her on a rooftop across town." She gave them the location. "You should know, the Lightning Twins engaged her. It didn't go their way. She's currently chasing them around town, causing a lot of property damage."

"We should take the jeep then" he commented, and they headed to the alleyway. As they exited, the other four saw a deep, almost blood-red Jeep Cherokee with black-tinted windows.

"You got another car, Black-sama?" Minato asked in surprise.

"How many times I gotta say drop the -sama, makes me feel old" Harry griped, before answering his question. "And not really. I had this imported a couple weeks ago, but was only able to pick it up last week from Customs. Love this car. It's reinforced, both magically and not, to withstand a missile. Not really sure how well it'll survive a Sekirei attack, but I hope never to test that theory. Though - knowing my luck - that'll happen fairly soon" he mused, rubbing the back of his head before shrugging.

"Anyways, it's magically modified to seat everyone comfortably. So, hop in!" he declared, pulling open the back door. The other four were surprised to see just how much room was actually in the car, that belied what the exterior was showing them. A few moments later all were piled in, and Harry was up front behind the wheel, tearing out into the road.

Forty-five minutes later, after navigating the hell that was Tokyo traffic, which Harry somehow did smoothly (he referenced something called the 'Knight Bus' but he didn't elaborate for the class), they pulled up near an entrance to a Tube Station. Matsu had said the trio was heading in this direction, so they piled out after EJ parked it.

They'd started down a street towards a small marketplace when they struck gold: well, luck struck them, actually.

"Catch him!" a voice none of them wanted to hear called out. Before anyone had reacted, Minato was impacted by a falling body. More specifically a cat landing on his head. A comical interaction later, and half a dozen facial scratches, neither of which Harry interfered with, due to laughing too hard, another pair of hands pulled the ferocious feline out of his hands.

"_**Thanks for catching him, young man!"**_ Seo congratulated. _**"Well, you saved me. He's a stray cat. I've been chasing him for three days now. With this I can get the money from the client."**_ The man was digging through his pockets for something, but Harry had already begun tuning him out, looking around for their target. But, his attention was brought back by the same man in a surprise fashion. _**"Hey, you got more Sekireis now"**_ he said matter-of-factly, looking at Minato.

Then he turned and looked at Harry, cocked his. "And you have one more now as well, though I can't tell if it's an additional, or…" his eyes lit up. "You got Matsu, didn't you?" He smirked, then turned to Minato. "Which means, yours was probably that cute little girl running around Izumo. Uh… I don't know if I ever caught her name."

"Shi, and how did you know that?" Minato asked in surprise, wondering where said Sekirei had disappeared to. "And how did you know about Matsu-san?"

"_**Moron, I was the one who built her hidden door. Because that Takehito was rough on his workers."**_ Harry felt puzzle pieces sliding together, ignoring the fact that Seo just called Minato a moron.

Minato was shocked. "Takehito-san…" he began, but Seo cut him off.

"Asama Takehito. He was my friend, but he's dead" Seo said morosely, and Harry could tell it was genuine. The man shook his head, before looking at Harry. "I always wondered where you disappeared to, Harry Potter." The statement caught the green-eyed man completely sideways, and it certainly showed on his face. "Takehito told me about you. Miya used to have this moving picture of you and her husband together, laughing about something. Haven't seen one like it since she trashed it. That day… before the accident, he'd wanted your help with something. Said you had a special ability that would have made Izumo the perfect safe-house. Any idea why he'd say something like that?" he asked. It was certainly less of a request so much as a demand.

Before the conversation went any further, twin voices called out, "SEO!"

The group turned, and Things One and Two were dropping to the ground. Seo's demeanor flipped back to the carefree one that they all knew and loathed. _**"Hey! You girls, look! I caught our money maker! With this, we don't need to worry about meals."**_

"No time for that, we were found by…"

"_**Hey! You over there!" **_came a mature woman's voice from above them. They looked up, and as fortune would have it, another woman was dropping right on top of them, her panties on show for all. _**"You're interfering! Get out of the way!" **_

A moment later, she landed right on Minato, who collapsed to the ground, muttering "déjà vu" weakly.

Harry was seriously reconsidering his offer of letting Minato have the first chance to Wing her. The woman that stood over his fellow male was, in a word, daaaaaaaamn. She was Matsu's height, with long, blonde hair to her rear that curled the last foot or so. Her décolletage was obscenely low: Gabby wore bikini tops that covered more. Only the nips and about half of the under-boob was actually covered, the rest was on full display.

He was imagining all kinds of money shots happening between him and the woman. And that was just the top half, complete with a choker. She was wearing a long, black cloak that covered absolutely nothing from the waist down, displaying the mini-skirt that stopped inches below her hips. Two garter belts sat mid-thigh, and knee-high stockings with nearly knee-high boots completed the look.

Yes, he was very much reconsidering his offer. The truculent woman was, predictably, growing irate about something, holding a hand to her chest and backing away from Minato. Then she turned and looked at him, and that ire grew some more as her eyes widened manically.

"Two of you! So! This is how you want to play it! How dare thy villains seek to claim that which is not yours!" She dropped her hands to her side, and they saw water forming around them. "I'll kill you before I let my body be taken! Both of you!" she screeched, and Minato was crawling backwards.

"Prepare yourself, monkey!" the woman screamed at the boy on the ground. With little to no hesitation, she began throwing the watery equivalent of fireballs at him. To say they were literally balls of water, like water balloons without the balloon, would be most accurate. Minato displayed some of his natural physique by dodging them non-stop. Had anyone been paying attention, they would've noticed that Shi had arrived, and was currently aiding Ku in restraining Musubi from attacking the woman. They were under orders not to engage her unless Minato was in a life-threatening situation. And, seeing as he hadn't been hit yet, except being landed on, they were obligated to follow his orders.

At least, two of them were. The battle-crazed Musubi wanted to join in: both to 'save' her Ashikabi, and to get in on the action.

Harry, meanwhile, was of two minds, as he watched the spectacle in amusement. Well, three, if he listened to his second head. He had to give it to the kid, he was quite adept at evasion. Also to his credit, he wasn't necessarily running away from the woman, just avoiding her attacks. In fact, if Harry didn't miss his guess, he'd wager Minato had actually gotten closer to her, and was attempting to start some sort of conversation. Said attempts only further irked the woman more, which brought him back to his thoughts. On one hand, he wanted very much to take her in all the worst ways. But, he dismissed that, as her whole rampage was about not wanting any males to violate her as such.

On another hand, he knew he could take the long road to that. And, she _was_ a single number, meaning she's very powerful. And this _was_ a game, a game that, if he was going to participate in, he wanted to win. Furthermore, truth-be-told, a physical relationship wasn't a necessity. Sure, he'd very much prefer it, but no, it wasn't a requirement for him. His arguments against claiming Shi and Musubi were true: the first was terrified of him, the latter far too innocent. Tsukiumi was neither, as her recent actions had proven. But, she did need an attitude adjustment, which, if the last Potter was REALLY being honest, probably wouldn't happen with him. It'd probably get worse, actually.

Which brought him to good ol' number three; the simple fact was Minato, technically, had dibs. Which… _still_ sounded all sorts of wrong, but Minato was the one dreaming of the woman, not him. Plus, he'd told the boy he'd help him essentially 'claim his woman', so to speak. He sighed. Friendship was complicated. Best to take on a laissez-faire attitude until a situational necessity reveals itself. There was a reason they brought three Sekirei, after all. He was just in case.

"Private link, Matsu."

"Matsu here, what's up EJ-sama?"

"We found her. Well, she found us, actually. She's already threatened both of us. Completely ignored Seo, though, which is reassuring I suppose."

"Seo's there? What's going on? I'm hacking into the satellite feed now."

"Surprised you hadn't already. She reacted to us, both of us, by the look of it. Heavily, if I'm not mistaken. Much like you were in that bath. And it's pissed her off. Like purple-in-the-face rage, pissed off."

"Wow. I had three weeks of suppressed urges to go on. That makes sense, though. Between you two, you have four Sekireis. Just Minato with all three of his right there must've sent her hormones into a hurricane-like rage."

"Like a moth to a flame?"

"Worse, but yes. Your situation is… odd… to be sure. But Minato's is fairly straightforward. Musubi would've made him a candle, Ku a lantern, and now Shi? He's become a small campfire. The more Sekirei he adds, and the more powerful those Sekirei are, the greater the pull."

"So with me…"

"If Akitsu and Yume were still 100% yours, you'd be a bonfire with all three of us, likely because of your own power. There wouldn't be a Sekirei alive capable of resisting you."

"Is this how Mikogami and Higa are getting so many?"

"It helps, yes. Numbers alone increases their appeal, no matter how horrid they may be. They become that play-boy that you know has a terrible reputation, but you want to find out for yourself why that is. Add to that they emit a sort of mating call just by being Ashikabis, and it's a lure. An opening-the-creepy-door-in-the-creepy-house kind of lure: you know it's a terrible idea, but you do it anyway because you're curious just enough. But by the time you come to your senses, it's too late."

He watched as Seo kissed his two girls, and both of them sprouted blue and purple wings. He was amused by Minato covering Ku's eyes protecting her innocence, as the girl stood in front of him, pot on her head and arms outstretched, protecting him from Tsukiumi. Shi was looking a bit red at the sight, ducking her face into Minato's shoulder. Musubi just cocked her head, eagerly watching the going-ons.

"Well… this should be interesting…" he heard Matsu mutter. He assumed she succeeded in getting satellite imagery.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Seo's activated their Noritos. Like in a video game, it's their super ability that can only be activated by the kiss of our Ashikabi."

He watched as the two chanted something, then screamed "Kaminari!" and a large, purple and blue bolt of lightning fired right at Tsukiumi.

To everyone's surprise, Minato jumped in front of it. Harry just blinked, and his first thought wondered if he just witnessed the boy commit suicide. His second was how to tell his sister. The third, and worse, was how to tell _Miya_. The fourth was the realization the guy probably need medical assistance if he somehow survived it, and darted forward to where the man was laying on top of the blonde, protecting her body. His jacket was shredded, exposing his skin which, to Harry's initial surprise, was bruised, but nothing more.

'_Something to think about later_' he sidebarred, and pulled the man off of the water woman. Said woman just laid there in shock for a few moments, breathing heavily with eyes wide open, her ample chest undulating in near exaggeration, before slowly clambering to her feet. But he ignored her, checking the younger man over, and found a pulse.

"The next one won't miss" he heard from the twins, and looked up in time to see a hose of water from the - strangely stoic - blonde split the twins, who were dodging it, and hit Seo that was behind them. He couldn't help the bark of laughter that erupted at seeing the man's plight, or his face as the now-drenched cat in his hands managed to free itself and darted away.

"Ahh… it ran away" one of the twins said.

"Shit" the other said, hanging her head.

Seo was waterlogged against a wall, which amused Harry, until Minato's groan got his attention again.

"Whoa whoa whoa take it easy, pal" he admonished, taking the man by the shoulder. "That was a hell of a hit you just took, both from the twins and from the landing. Don't move too fast."

"He tried to protect me." Harry looked up, and saw that dilation he was becoming familiar with in the woman's eyes directed at the boy on the ground, as well as the heavy breathing she was failing to conceal with a hand over her heart. _'Yep, she's gone. He's already got her. Shame that. But, she'll be good for him. They'll be good for each other.'_

He thought he heard Seo whining about something, but he didn't care… right up until he was suddenly next to them and slamming Tsukiumi into a wall, hand on her throat.

"You beat up my girls." He slammed her again. "Then you lose our payday." Another slam into the wall. _**"You have to pay that debt somehow."**_

Harry found himself in a bind, and confused. Confused, because she wasn't fighting back. _'Wonder if this is the 'Ashikabi with multiple Sekirei' thing Matsu was talking about.'_ And in a bind, because what if saving her this time created a problem with her reaction to Minato. Friendship with guys was confusing.

"What did you do to me?" she demanded on the man with his hand on her throat. Harry's eyebrows raised as the man just smirked victoriously.

"_**It doesn't matter what you do. My powers as an Ashikabi were recognized by Takehito; it's quite special."**_

Huh. Ashikabi with special abilities. If this is a game, then that's a seriously broken mechanic if not… wait, do they all have special abilities?

Harry realized that just being him was a special ability, and mentally shook his head. Something else to look into.

"_**That's right, I'll wing you like that, and then you'll become my servant, how about that?"**_ Ok. Enough is enough. Harry got to his feet, before a surprise voice caught their attention.

"Leave her alone." It was said with such firmness that there was absolutely no way it could've came from the person he knew it did. Turning with a confused frown, Minato had, at some point, gotten to his feet, and was staring the bigger man down. _'Kid has something. Don't know what, but something. Good on him, growing some cajones.'_

"That … that girl is…" _'Oh, come on, don't stutter now!'_

"That girls is my Sekirei!" _'Atta boy!'_

"Youngling, you're her Ashikabi?" Seo asked incredulously. Harry just rolled his eyes.

"That's right" Minato answered defiantly, stepping towards the man. "Now, let. Her. Go."

"What if I don't wanna" Seo replied with a smirk, but found an arm around his neck.

"Aaand that's my cue" Harry supplied, tightening his grip. "Your part here is done, pal. Let the lovely woman go, or I kill you now and give your Sekirei an upgrade." He smirked cockily. "I daresay they could use it." the man's grip on Tsukiumi's neck loosened, and Harry's around his own neck followed. "Good boy, you can follow orders. Now, I suggest you run along, before…"

"You bastard, Seo."

"Too late" Harry sing-songed, before pushing him in the direction of two very irate women.

His part done, he spun around, and caught sight of Musubi- correction, Yume - doubled over in laughter at what had just happened. He glanced at the blonde and raven-haired woman conversing, clearly not going Minato's way, judging by his frantic defensive movements before her verbal onslaught, before he shook his head and moved to their shared Sekirei.

He heard - and saw the flashes of - purple lightning bolts going off behind him, and knew that Seo was in for it.

"Well, this was all anticlimactic. Shi and I didn't even get to do anything."

Harry snorted, looking at the woman with her arms crossed. "You're telling me. Here I was prepared for an epic fight, followed by lots of clichés, but all we got was a wimp throwing himself in front of - then surviving - a lightning bolt to protect the woman he was deathly terrified to even meet, let alone talk to." He thought it over, eyes skyward, before looking back at her. "On second thought, not bad, actually. But, I did still hope for a bit more action."

"I really wish I had my own body" Yume remarked, leaning into him, slowly rubbing herself on him as a cat to a post. "Musubi is bummed she didn't get to fight, and part of me is as well, but seeing you get all manly like that in defense of a damsel, and of a friend, gets me all hot and bothered." She emphasized her point by fanning herself with her hand. Harry leaned his head back and laughed, before kissing the top of her head as he wrapper an arm around her shoulders.

"I can't deny how much of me wants to go for it, but I highly doubt Musubi is in any way experienced in such arts. Best let her defile her own body on her own terms, I'm afraid." Yume sighed.

"I know" she whined, before tilting her head up to him. "And despite being a perverted asshole, it's things like that that make you such a great guy."

He shrugged. "I try" he remarked dryly, before donning a thoughtful expression. "Sometimes." That drew a snort from the woman, as she straightened up and shook her head as Tsukiumi's voice got louder and louder.

"DON'T FIGHT!" Kusano's scream was heard over all, and the two watched as the lightning twins, Seo, and Shi were all wrapped in limbs, with Tsukiumi and Minato held in vines close to each other. The two followed all the branches back to the simple potted plant in the hands of a small, golden-yellow girl. The youngest Sekirei looked very pleased with herself.

"I stopped the fight" she stated simply, sending them a thumbs-up. Both just collapsed onto the ground, rolling in the dirt as they laughed.

.

* * *

The trip home was tense. Tsukiumi refused to release Minato's arm, even while climbing into the jeep. She instantly recognized the modifications as "sorcery", then she accused Harry of witchcraft, but halted her protests upon the realization of just how comfortable it all was.

Though, despite that initial bout of cognition, Harry learned a very important detail on the trip home: Tsukiumi wasn't very observant either. It amused him that she kept questioning - more like interrogating - Shi and Ku about their Ashikabi, not realizing they were speaking of the man whose arm she was clutching onto. A detail he was going to exploit as soon as possible.

The arrival at the Inn, however, was comical, as Harry saw his chance. Miya was holding a mattenklopper in her hand as she approached them from the side. "You are late" she announced, looking him in the eye expectantly. '_Two birds, one stone'_ he internally smirked, before stepping to the woman.

"Sorry, honey, Minato had some trouble snagging his fourth Sekirei" he replied, before kissing Miya on the cheek, just missing her lips.

The wizard swore he heard Kagari's jaw hit the porch. And it took quite a bit of his not inconsiderable willpower to turn around to see the facial expressions behind him, as Tsukiumi screamed "FOURTH!?" But it was Miya's look of shock, as Harry was vehemently denying it was also filled with lust, that anchored him in place. The two stared at each other for a few minutes, before Uzume's voice carried out the door.

"Miya! The table is all se… oh!" She caught sight of the new girl. "Well well, Sahashi-san, becoming quite the stud muffin yourself, are we? Trying to show up EJ-sama with how many Sekirei you can get into your bed?"

Harry thought he was going to explode from how much he was fighting back his laughter, as Uzume's cackles, Miya's declarations against all such actions in her domicile, and Tsukiumi's outbursts, filled the air of Izumo's garden.

This time no one was spared, as Kusano got all of them wrapped up, even Miya, having more than just her potted plant to rely on this time. Though, it didn't stop Harry and Uzume's laughing, despite being caught in it themselves. Or Tsukiumi's ranting.

And little Ku just giggled as she ran inside with her little plant.

.

* * *

That evening, Matsu came down to the table, joining Miya, Harry and Kagari. Gabby had gone to their place already to crash, the shopping trip having worn her out. Though, she'd cackled when he told her what happened with Miya, and dared him to do it again. A dare he really wanted to accomplish, but wondered if it was worth his life.

The rest had retired to their rooms, so the quartet could finish the discussion that had begun in Matsu's room, as Miya and Kagari had apparently heard all of it.

"You sure you don't want Minato to hear this?" Kagari asked her as she took her spot next to her Ashikabi. The redhead shook her head.

"From what I heard over the comms between Tsukiumi and Minato, it was all Minato could do to reign her in, so to speak. We can tell the others about this later, but not so he could add another to his collection. Which, I must confess, EJ-sama" she turned to her green-eyed wizard, "that I am surprised you actually let Minato claim her. I'm not upset, just surprised."

Miya and Kagari looked at him expectantly, and he shrugged. "I won't deny I almost didn't. When she landed on Minato, all my perversions came out. That, plus the fact this is a game, I very nearly did." He shrugged again. "But, I told Minato I'd help him. That if he wanted her, I'd help him get her." He shook his head. "I'm not very good with being friends with guys, but there's a code, the Bro Code: he called dibs."

"'Dibs'?" Miya's very venomous word had the two Sekirei shaking, and Harry shrugged again.

"More than once, this 'winging' of Sekirei has been referred to as 'collecting' them. Plus, this is all a 'game' of some sorts. Now, I don't like it, but at the same time, I'm not the one setting the rules. So, for the time being, I'm playing by them until I have the ability and power to change them. Plus," he shrugged, "I think someone with Tsukiumi's constitution will be good for Sahashi, and vice versa. I think Sahashi learned something about himself today."

"An awfully heuristic approach, don't you think? Not to mention nearly fatal."

"I've questions about the 'nearly fatal' aspect of that statement, but that's for another time. As for heuristic," he shrugged again, "he just took another step to being the man his other girls already see him as. Now, he's just put an action to that thought."

Running his fingers through his hair, he looked between all three of them. "On another topic, as of this moment, all three of you represent part of the game." He pointed a thumb at Matsu. "She's already mine. We all know that." He indicated Kagari. "You could be mine, and were I like Higa or this Mikogami fellow, I would just take you. But, despite all of my villainous and scoundrel-esque ways, I'm not _that_ sort of asshole. If I were, Minato wouldn't have any Sekirei at all." He then indicated Miya. "Believe it or not, I believe in women having a choice. I may do all I can to seduce a woman to my bed, or anywhere really, but I will not force them. I will not coerce them outside of those honey'd words. And despite being pieces of a game, and aliens, they… you... are all individuals, with your own lives, and have the ability to make your own choices."

He shrugged again. "No one likes being forced to play a game unwillingly. Especially one where they don't even know all the rules. And worse, one with people's lives on the line." Taking a deep breath, he looked at Miya. "You know that towel that Uzume uses?"

"The one with the creatures on it? Pokemon, I think she called them."

"Exactly" he nodded. "When putting it up the other day, I had a strange thought, on how, in some ways, 'collecting' Sekirei was like collecting Pokemon. The only difference is every Sekirei is akin to being a legendary, as there are so few." Miya twitched at that. He looked at the other two. "Right?" Kagari and Matsu nodded, and Miya was as well, but much slower.

"That being said, what is the purpose of this game in the first place?"

"To see which of us is strongest, of course" Matsu answered quickly.

"For what purpose?" he pressed. "To what end does eliminating 106 Sekirei serve? Why would an Ashikabi be capable of winging more than one if, ultimately, those two or more will be expected to fight against each other?" He ran a hand through his hair. "This battle royale is a 'survival of the fittest', plain and simple. Fine. But, what do they expect? You to actually kill each other, or just knock each other out?"

"We eliminate them by taking their crest, that's in the rules" Kagari voiced, not seeing where he was going with it.

"And you're telling me every Sekirei will go by those rules, correct?" he challenged. "I have only encountered maybe 20 Sekirei, to my knowledge, yet I know for a fact two of them would kill in a heartbeat if given the chance." He saw recognition in both Miya and Kagari's eyes, and Matsu stiffening next to him. "The woman in the woods very nearly killed Sahashi, and would have had I arrived any later than I did. And Karasuba has every intention of winning this game. Now, I am not worried about my girls, however many I have. She won't touch them, because I can stop her.

"But what about everyone else? How many Sekirei can truly stand up to her bloodthirst?"

Matsu, seeing the topic had managed to come around to her intended discussion, pushed her datapad forward, setting it on an inclined stand, before hitting a button that brought up a profile. "She could. Number 13: Tsubaki. AKA The Dark Star."

"A double digit number?" Harry asked curiously.

"From what I've been able to gather, she is the last Sekirei to truly be experimented on. Also from what I've been able to gather, she's the culmination of several of them." She tapped a couple more buttons, and a video feed came up. The woman's was short and stocky, but it was obvious she was very muscular. In the feed she was facing off against several would-be attackers, all wielding bats. To the group's surprise, one of her arms suddenly shifted, and the sharp end of a blade erupted from the other side of one of the men. The two more fell in a similar manner before the rest fled. The feed showed her shifting her arm back to normal, casually wiping the blood off her arm on her leg, then turned and stared at the camera before the video cut off.

"Well… that was interesting" Harry remarked dryly.

"Her body… it just changed form" Kagari commented in shock, and Matsu nodded, returning the pad to her profile.

"I have several other videos of where different body parts can change shape, almost always into weapons of some sort. I would not hesitate to suggest this is possible with her entire body."

EJ sat there for a few moments, thinking it over, before looking at the eldest present. "Is this an ability that is common amongst your race?" he asked cautiously. She slowly shook her head before meeting his eyes.

"No. Shape-shifting into other people, perhaps. There were some capable of becoming creatures or animals. But weapons? No. I have not heard of that before."

He nodded his head, filing that extra info for a later conversation. "It is strange that someone who is practically a living weapon has been set loose on the city" he remarked, thinking of the footage.

"Just another level of madness Hinaka is adding to this 'game' of his" Miya snarled, and he felt Matsu scooting closer to him in response.

"Then I suppose that only fits, as I have a feeling what Matsu is suggesting is madness in itself" he provided, before turning pointedly to the redhead clinging to his arm. "You want me to wing her, don't you?"

She nodded, putting both hands in her lap as she took a deep breath. "I know you're trying to avoid objectifying all of us, EJ-sama. And, we do appreciate it. Truly. But…" she took a deep breath, before looking at her Ashikabi. "May I speak freely, sir? Please?" He nodded slowly, and she took a moment before speaking to the table at large. "Whether we like it or not, as you've said, this is a game. Whether we play or not, it won't stop it. And worse, those that _do_ want to play, or are playing irrespective of their opinions, will drag us into it, one way or the other.

"I submitted myself to you for a reason, EJ-sama. Not just because you're good looking, or because I can take out all of my perversions on you. It's because you do what needs to be done. Sometimes you're the nice, good guy, like with Sahashi-san and his Sekirei. Like with Kagari here. But other times, you're the evil that must exist to fight the greater evils."

He turned a curious eye towards her, and she shrank into herself. "I… have been busy hacking into Monarch's files when you're not around. It hasn't been easy going, but..." She tapped another button on the datapad, and another video footage played, "...I've made some progress." He recognized it from the only time he invaded the Kremlin. It had been botched from the word "go", and he had to fight every inch in, and twice as much out. This segment showed him taking on several soldiers at once, eliminating them as quickly, efficiently, and sometimes brutally as possible.

It ended after a couple minutes, leaving 23 soldiers dead on the ground, and a much younger Harry Potter breathing heavily, covered in blood, but otherwise uninjured but a torn sleeve.

"I only recently managed to dig this up. I'm sorry to spill so much information without consulting you first, but I think you needed to be reminded of who and what you are." She returned the pad to the Sekirei's profile, and he saw a tear trail from her eye. "Doctor EJ Black is a good man. A wonderful doctor, well-respected by the medical community in general. Some of his formulae still boggle the medical world-at-large, though I wager they may have some magical properties to them."

She turned to look at him. "EJ Black is a wonderful man, with a gorgeous girlfriend, a gadabout who lives a salacious lifestyle of sodomy and general revelry." Raising her hand, she placed it over his heart. "But, EJ Black will not win this game. EJ Black cannot fight what is coming, what he knows is coming. He can tend to the wounded, help fix the damage after the fact. But if you want to win, my Ashikabi, if you want to fight the system, it will not because EJ Black did it, but because Harry 'Bloody' Potter did it. Because the Jade Shadow did it."

Pointing at the datapad with a free hand, but not breaking her gaze, she continued. "That man, he is the one I need, the one we all need, to not only survive, but win. Regardless of which man you want to be in this game, I will support you 100% of the way, because both have their merits. But you've spoken of going against the rules as they are set now. If you truly want to do that, it can't be as EJ Black." Leaning up to him, she kissed him softly, with a tenderness he never would've expected from the perverted woman. Her brilliant red wings sprouted out behind her as she hugged him, then stood and went up the stairs. He didn't move until he heard her door close, then turned to the other two.

Both were sitting there in silence, contemplating what was just revealed. Kagari was looking at him with a mixture of emotions, one of which he recognized as the unwinged reaction. There was also fear in there, surprise, awe, and a slew of others he didn't feel like considering.

Miya was deep in thought, not meeting either's gaze. Both hands were in her lap, and she was staring down at the table between them all.

A beeping on the screen caught their attention, and an alert notification of a Sekirei being deactivated popped up. At the moment, however, none gathered particularly cared.

Harry sighed, and looked towards Kagari, who was looking anywhere _but_ at him. _'It's time to get in touch with Hana. Think I've managed to put it off long enough. See what she plans on doing for all of this.'_

The pad returned to Tsubaki's profile, and Harry reached out and drug it towards him. Reading over the gathered information, it appeared Matsu suspected her of the recent attacks on known single Ashikabi/Sekirei pairings. Four pairings, now possibly five, with several bystanders caught up in the fights. _'Mercenary work, she suspects. Interesting. But why would an unwinged Sekirei accept payment to eliminate her winged sisters? Another Tsukiumi, perhaps? Punishing the men for winging her sisters? The sisters for subjecting themselves to it?'_

Reading over the information, he realized Matsu was likely correct in her assessment that Minato wouldn't be able to handle this woman. Anger issues even while at MBI, killed half a dozen scientists and triple that in guards when she was 'released', though Matsu added a comment that it was likely she actually escaped from MBI than was released. _'Perhaps said merc work is a form of protection from being apprehended? Another Ashikabi protecting her in exchange?'_

Perhaps Matsu was right. He'd been so passive about the whole thing, playing defense. But, no game was ever won on defense. No war either, for that matter. You have to attack at some point. And he hadn't been. He didn't question his non-interference in Minato's winging of the four Sekirei, despite having had a chance to claim each of them himself…

Claim them. Internally he was shaking his head. It was one thing to treat a woman like an object when they wanted it. Doing so because of the nature of their birth just seemed… wrong. It felt far too much like the misconceptions about Veela: that they were prizes to be had, sex objects to be claimed and controlled. Just wrong.

But Matsu had, in not so few words, told him that was exactly what he needed to do to win. Not just survive, but win. The Sekirei were pieces of the game, and he needed to treat them as such. And there were only four left to be claimed. The whole idea was ludicrous. Pitting Matsu and Kusano against Karasuba or Musubi in a Battle Royale.

It didn't make any sense. None of it. He knew there were pieces missing. Looking at the landlady, he wondered how many the woman held, and how much of this game she, too, was subject to. How much she could stop. Or worse...

"What are you going to do, Harry?" the woman in question asked him softly. He met her gaze, and it was of mixed feelings: concern, curiosity, and something he continued to refuse acknowledgement of.

"I'm not sure" he answered honestly, pushing the datapad back to the center. On it, pictures of Kagari in his Homura outfit, Kazehana, and Tracksuit girl joined Tsubaki's. Shiina's pop-up made the polygon complete. For now.

Miya looked the five over, for what he wasn't sure, before turning to him. "Yes, you are" she replied, and he just looked down at the table shaking his head.

"For all my faults, Miya, using people like pawns in a game is not one of them. I've been a pawn for much of my life. The thought that I may need to do that myself just sickens me."

"But you will do it." It wasn't and order or an accusation, just a simple statement. He sighed.

"If I must" he admitted with great reluctance. "A large part of me really wants to just say 'fuck it' and just leave, as we discussed. Take as many of you that want to come with, and just _vamoose_. Poof. Planes, trains, magical transpo, just go, get out of the city."

"MBI locked the city down, remember?" Kagari countered with frustration. He was of two minds about leaving: on one hand, it would be nice to get away once his job as Guardian was completed. On the other, if he wanted to kill Hinaka, he couldn't do it by leaving. Not that he thought he'd live very long in either retrospect.

"So? They can't stop everyone. And certainly can't stop me or Gabby." He looked at Miya. "And I'd love to see them try stopping you."

"My place is here, Harry" she countered with a slight shake of her head. "This place was built by my husband to be a safe haven for Sekirei. I will see that dream realized until this game's completion."

"I was afraid you'd say that" he sighed, dropping his head in the palms of his hands, scratching his head with his fingers. "Something to think about, I suppose. Before this gets too far out of control." Sitting back up, he took on a quizzical face before turning his attention to the first Sekirei. "In the meantime, I think training is in order."

"Training?" Kagari repeated, but Miya cocked her head thoughtfully.

He nodded. "Miya has already been training Musubi. I think the others could use it as well. Not just individually, but fighting as a team." He took the datapad again, and brought up Google Maps to show the area immediately around them. "I own all this property" he informed them, indicating the area between the Inn and his place. "I could demolish the houses between us, and turn the area into a training ground."

"What about the tenants?" Miya asked worriedly. While she'd not been close to any of them, they'd been friendly enough. Harry smirked.

"What tenants?" he asked in response, smiling. "They were encouraged to find other accommodations. One I outright evicted…" and he pointed at the one closest to his house, "because the house might as well have been condemned for how poor shape it was in. And the tenant was an ass. Your neighbors, though, I paid for their moving expenses due to the suddenness. They were unhappy, as you can imagine, but accepted my terms, as I didn't hold them accountable for any other charges."

"You paid the neighbors to leave?" Kagari asked incredulously. Harry shrugged.

"They were really kind, and made excellent biscuits. I explained my reasoning for the request was purely selfish in nature, and offered another property I own in recompense. It's about three blocks away in the opposite direction so they won't be too far dislocated. That plus the moving expenses won them over." He made a show of fixing his collar and his hair. "It helps I'm such a good looking guy as well" he stated as much pompous frat-boy as he could, which earned him a backslap from Miya and a head-banging-on-table by Kagari.

With a chuckle, he turned the datapad screen off, not knowing how to turn it off entirely, slid it next to him, and cupped his hands together in front of him. "But seriously, training. Everyone in his house could use it, some more than others. I know Miya is more than adequate, and I've a few things to teach as well. I'm sure the two of us can learn from the other. On top of that, both of us know how to lead teams, and that's what Minato's Sekirei need to learn how to do: act as a team."

"What about Yume?" Miya asked, and Harry took a moment to consider how to answer it.

"Still working on that, as explaining it all to Musubi so she'll understand it will be difficult."

"Her and Tsukiumi working together will be interesting to see" Kagari voiced, but Harry rounded on him with a mischievous smile.

"Oh? You say that as if you have a history with Tsukiumi. Something to tell the class?" he added with a waggle of his eyebrows, and Kagari sputtered.

"N-n-no! Nothing like that" he backtracked, waving his hands. "Just run into her a lot is all" he provided, as Harry leaned forward, hands cupped under his chin, staring intently at him.

"Oh? Do tell." The soft command with a hint of huskiness had a very interesting and comical effect on the man across from him, as the red cheeks testified, then the subsequent realization of red cheeks. After a few moments Harry let him off the hook, but didn't miss the smile Miya had, eyes screaming 'troublemaker' at him.

"I look forward to seeing just what these 'run-ins' of yours have amounted to, Kagari" he verbosed, getting the man's attention.

"What?" he asked dumbly.

"You didn't think you were off the hook because you were unwinged, did you? No no no. You need training as well. We can come up with some cover story for those who don't know your alter ego, but you could use it as well. Akitsu did a number on you because you turned your back for a split second. While I haven't seen you much in action outside of that, I know your aim with your fireballs needs work as well. So, we'll work on it."

Harry stood up, deciding it was getting late. Kagari looked ready to argue against all of it, and the black-haired boy could see the man's pain. "One last thing, Kagari. Something I spoke with Miya about, but it is and will remain your decision, and only yours." Seeing he had the man's attention, he pressed on. "Gabby and I have a theory about why your winging to her didn't work. It involves details we won't be relaying to either of you anytime soon, just know we have a very plausible theory.

"That being said, it is through that theory that we came up with a solution, one you're very much against: I wing you." Holding up his hand to stop his objections, the green-eyed wizard continued. "As I said, it's your choice. You would still be Gabby's Sekirei, via the bond through me. Should our theory pan out, once I wing you, you won't need me to use your Norito, Gabs could do it.

"Another option I just thought of, one that will hurt Gabby's feelings but may also work, is Chiho winging you. You're very determined to have a female Ashikabi. As a fellow male, I can understand that. If you're dead-set on NOT being winged by a male under any circumstances, it's something to consider. Gabby's feelings versus control of your own life? Not exactly a toss-up." He gave a sad smile. "I don't presume to know all the details, or have all the answers, regarding what's going on with you. But I can't imagine immolation being fun on any level.

"Gabby really likes you. The two of you get along fantastically. And it's funny how far under her thumb she has you. Just think about it, ok?" With that, he departed, heading for home and his girlfriend.

Moments after he left, a sudden beeping from the forgotten datapad drew the remaining duo's attention. The screen reactivated, and an alert popped up, reading: _**"Sekirei Number 107: Shiina. Winged by Sahashi Yukari."**_

"And then, there were four."


	10. Scarecrow

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long delay and also the short chapter. The reason being: this chapter was not planned. I was originally going to jump straight to the next chapter, and have most of this chapter simply referred to offhandedly. Buuut... the poem that inspired the first scene came to mind, and I started writing. Then I had to edit it (Could still use a Beta, hint hint), then I went to check on continuity, and then... and then... and then... y'all know how it goes. **

**I kept it short because the tone of this chapter, despite how it opens, doesn't flow into the next, so I'm electing to keep them separate.**

**As always, constructive criticism is always welcome, and I'm still not the owner of recognizable characters or content. **

**.**

* * *

_April 23, 2020_

_The Crucible_

_._

"Alright minions, munchkins, monkeys and miscreants, listen up!" Harry paced back and forth in front of the gathered troops. Pausing, he turned and faced them. "'General Patton [once] said that wars are fought with weapons, but won by men.'" He shrugged. "Perhaps in his day that was true. Today, it is not." Keenly, the Major appraised each of those gathered. "Time has proven that women are just as, if not moreso, formidable as men. You lot are the evidence." Several gathered felt their backs straightened in pride as their rhetorician continued his pacing.

"You are on the breech of the greatest offensive of your young lives. The enemy is out there," he pointed behind him with a folded sensu, "waiting for you. They are ruthless. They are vicious. And they will not stop until they have-"

"Why is stuff falling out of that pillow case?" He spun, slowly, and stepped towards the inquisitor. Stopping in front of the most diminutive present, he bent over, arms akimbo, and stared her down. She stood there, arm extended towards her target, and looked up at him with the most innocent expression only one with the appearance of an 8-year-old could successfully pull off.

The encounter lasted nary a moment before a giggle resounded. Then another. It wasn't long before even the stern orator was fighting his own face from breaking out, evidenced by the corners of his lips twitching. A snort from nearby led to a cacophony of laughter.

"Well, pardon me missy that it's not perfect on such short notice." She just giggled into her balled-up fists in response. Because he's a mature adult, Harry stuck his tongue out at her, which led to another burst of giggles from all present.

That is, all but one.

"Oh get on with it already" a voice snapped impatiently. The laughter desisted almost instantly. All turned, with less surprise than would normally be expected, towards the guilty party. "Thy aren't a general most grandiose. Thy art a man who thinks himself beyond his station! We aren't some-"

"Monkey."

"Precisely! We are Sekirei! Not an evolution of hominoids! This is-"

"Quiet, monkey." It wasn't said overly loud. Nor even aggressively. It was so matter-of-fact that most present nonconsciously felt their backs straighten up as the atmosphere changed. Even the aggressor felt her hackles up, but was unwilling to relent to some ape! "Now, where was-"

"I AM NOT A MONKEY!" The blonde was boiling at this point, her face flushed red, as she was near-screaming at him. "In what state of mind must thou be to presume knowledge of instructing a Sekirei?"

"Who are you to presume you know anything about _moi_?"

"I am a Sekirei!"

"As if that's supposed to mean anything, Monkey?" She bristled, but he didn't relent. "I see a truculent, entitled, self-righteous and self-absorbed heteroclite with the intelligence of a monkey in a zoo throwing poo." Someone giggled nearby at the brief rhyme, but neither acknowledged it, too absorbed in their staredown.

For those watching, it was a tense trice before she decided on a different approach. "Landlady-dono! Why aren't thou the proprietor of today's training session?" Before the fearsome woman could respond or react in any manner, a low growl emitted from the man in front of her that had her head swivelling back to face him in surprise. Followed by, if she was being honest with herself, a bit of apprehension, as his eyes took on a predatory gleam.

"Thank you, Tsukiumi, for bringing us around to an excellent first lesson. You'll make a fine example. I'll apologize to Sahashi for hurting his Sekirei later." To the bystanders of the stand-off, it appeared that Tsukiumi had been about to rescind her comment. That is, until his last statement sank in and stoked her ire. Most would have said that was a poor choice of words, but the duo who shared a brief sideways glance weren't fooled.

With a beckon of his fingers, EJ turned and stepped into the open area in front of the gathered that had stuffed tatterdemalions scattered throughout. He stopped next to one, donned a thoughtful expression, then laid a hand on its shoulder as he turned towards his opponent who had strings of water wrapped around her hands in preparation.

When he spoke, though, his somber tone caught her off guard. "'We are the hollow men, we are the stuffed men, leaning together…'" The sudden sardonic smirk had her blinking. "'...Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!'" He threw the dummy at her, some of the straw flew out and clouded the air between them.

With an exclamation of outrage, Tsukiumi swatted the straw-filled projectile aside, only to widen her eyes in surprise as the man was _charging_ her. She threw a hastily conjured stream of water at him, and was doubly surprised when he dodged it, before a punch to the gut landed her on her butt, her eyes bugging out at the force of the fist to her abdomen.

"'Our dried voices, when, We whisper together, Are quiet and meaningless…'" With a huff she scrambled to her feet and flourished her hands.

"_**Water Celebration**_!" A hose of water lanced towards the man. With a pivot, he avoided it, before appearing right in her face.

"'As wind in dry grass, Or rats' feet over broken glass, In our dry cellar'…" he patted her cheek, ducked the wild left, then smacked her rump as she spun from the force of her own punch. She kicked back at him, only to hit empty air. It doubled as a failed attacked when a hand shot out from behind her and smacked her rear again. In her rage, she landed her extended foot then kicked awkwardly in the direction of the newest attack. As such, it was all too easy for the man to kick her plant-foot, landing her ungainly on her bum again.

"'Shape without form'," he bopped her head, and she swung from her seated position to empty air. "'Shade without colour'," he flicked her ear, a thread of water dashed into nothingness. "'Paralysed force'," a hand reached out and poked her in the eyes.

"AAAHHHH!" she exclaimed, holding her eyes, before that insulting voice resounded in her ears again.

"'Gesture without motion'." Had she not been blinded - pun intended - by rage, she would've realized the voice was further away than usual. As it was, she began swinging wildly, lancing out streams of water in every direction, screaming profanities at him.

Those watching were of mixed feelings by the utter humiliation being imparted on the woman. But watching her swing madly at empty air as her target stood nearly a dozen meters away was pretty funny.

After volleys of failed attacks, and lack of being counterattacked, the Water Sekirei caught her breath and blinked a few times to restore her sight. The head of the Black family gave her this brief respite, not wanting to break the woman's spirit: just her arrogance. Instead, he strolled back towards her. Her head snapped towards him, anger in her eyes, which increased to near madness as she observed the fact he wasn't even breathing hard. With a banshee-esque scream of rage, she charged him, coating her hands in water as she did.

What ensued was as a scene from a movie. For every attack she landed on him, he slapped her half a dozen times in return: on her face, on her butt, her legs, her back, her neck, her head. Every time he connected with her was an open-palm slap. Sometimes just the fingertips, as her movements became more erratic. To the untrained eye it appeared she was beginning to adapt, but in truth, as Matsu and Uzume shared a brief giggle, it was more akin to a beginner button-smashing in a video game with the hope of doing something right.

"DEATH IS TOO GOOD FOR THEE, THOU FUCKING MONKEY!" The exclamation surprised all who'd heard her speak, which was practically everyone gathered, as none had ever expected her to use vulgar language. Such a statement brought Harry to the realization that perhaps this 'example' had gone on long enough, and it was time to end it.

A right jab aimed at his face was caught by his left hand and, instead of slapping her as he had been, he yanked her arm forward by the grasped fist, and delivered a powerful right elbow to her jaw. This was immediately followed up by driving their still-clasped fists into her face then, without releasing the fist, yanked her forward again and drove his left knee into her gut. One would think this was enough but no. Having let go of her hand, his right swung around, caught her by the throat, arched her over his shoulder, then slammed her into the ground.

Those watching might've thought it was a brutal end to a simple demonstration, but a few amongst those gathered would be lying if said brutality didn't stir… other… feelings as well. But those few were distracted from said thoughts by his voice resonating in their ears.

"'Those who have crossed, With direct eyes, to death's other Kingdom'..." he released her throat, and caressed her tear-ridden cheek, drawing the back of his hand through her tears as she sobbed lightly. Minato darted towards her, sliding to a stop at her side. He drew her into his chest, and she stiffened at the contact, before looking towards her subjugator as he spoke again, his voice heavy and subdued.

"'Remember us -if at all- not as lost Violent souls, but only'..." he took a deep breath, and looked down at her with eyes ladened with emotions the indomitable woman would not have expected of him,

"'As the hollow men, The stuffed men.'"

Ku, Shi and Musubi raced towards their Ashikabi and Sekirei sister and gathered around them, anguish and concern in their eyes. Though, Musu-Yume took a moment to flash Harry a sad smile before a confused, blinking Musubi turned towards the group on the ground, extending her concerns.

Two pairs of hands wrapping around him drew his attention to the blonde and redhead, and he kissed each of their foreheads in reassurance before they made their way inside together to give the other group some time to recuperate before they resumed. Kagari and Uzume followed, the latter pushing the wheelchair her Ashikabi was seated in.

Only the remaining pair of brown eyes noticed the lone figure perched on a nearby rooftop. '_It would appear, Potter-san, you have an admirer.'_ Then found herself smirking slightly to herself when the figure suddenly took off upon realizing they'd been spotted. '_Yet another interesting development. Oh Takehito, if only you were here to guide us through these troubled times.'_

With a last glance at the gathered group, she returned to her home.

* * *

_Shortly After_

_Higa's Office_

.

While all present were expecting it, few were truly prepared for the large, ornate desk to be heaved across the office. Even fewer for the resounding *CRASH* that resulted as it flew into the wall, leaving a massive crater in the - surprisingly - reinforced wall.

"TWO WEEKS! TWO WHOLE WEEKS! That French bitch has been sighted no less than a dozen times, and not ONE of you have been successful in apprehending her!" The chair followed his desk, leaving a less impressive mark against the wall. When they'd be told of this later, Toyotama and Ichiya would both be extremely grateful they were _not _present. Though, they would feel bad for the young Sekirei that ended up taking their place as his whipping post.

"SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE HAD MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO APPREHEND HER, AND WHAT DID YOU DO? NOTHING!"

None present were about to argue with him, even in defense of themselves. Yes, they had had multiple chances collectively, but most of the time they'd been in heavily populated areas, such as the malls. Areas where they had few easy escapes were they successful. Others had more opportunity, one would think, but she'd disappear before they were able to get too close. As if she'd just vanished into thin air. The first one to have reported this was painfully punished, so none had reported any recurrences for fear of their own health.

That is, none, but the one who suddenly cracked up laughing.

All eyes slowly turned to the figure leaning against a wall, arms crossed, one foot on the ground, the other supporting her leaning posture. Her black hair was dangling over her face as her body physically shook from laughing so hard.

"Ohhh Higa, you certainly know how to keep such boring meetings interesting. I have to say, that has to be the best temper tantrum I've ever seen. Throwing a desk? Whoo! That's a new one on me." The figure cracked up some more, dragging a finger across her eyes as if wiping tears. "Man, if I can see more of that, I should start coming to these more often. That was hilarious!"

"Tsubaki" he snarled, fists balled up. "I find myself unamused by your failures as well. Give me a good reason why I shouldn't punish you here and now?"

The laughter died immediately. Those who recognized killer intent took a step back, not wanting her gaze to land on them.

"And here I didn't think you had a death wish." Her arm shifted into a scythe. "But please, humor me. I'd love to stick this through your heart." The two stared at each other for several moments before Higa turned away.

"Fortunately for you, we have important matters to discuss." The Dark Star snorted, but nevertheless, reformed her arm before crossing them once more.

"I'm listening." Higa, facing away from her, smirked. '_So quick to threaten me, but so eager to take my money. We both know you answer to none but me. It's only a matter of time before you submit.'_

"Despite your insolence, you too have failed in your task, Tsubaki."

She snorted again. "Oh, please. Do elaborate."

He slowly turned to her. "I have yet to see any proof of your success. Furthermore, neither Delecour nor Black are present. Neither have been brought before me. Nor have you provided any information that would lead to their captures."

"I'm waiting on how that's my problem."

The man had to fight back a snarl, and the urge to wring her neck. "Your assignment-"

"-Is to confront EJ Black and bring him here. Yeah, I got that. Your point?"

"The obvious point is: he isn't here."

"Wow, figured that out by yourself did you? I'm impressed. All those pretty grades bought for you at school got you a remarkably astute observation. Congrats." Several murmurs resounded at the blatant disrespect. One, however, took it a step further, and moved towards her.

"Listen here y-" but the man never finished. In the time it took to say those two words, her arm had shifted to a scythe and lodged its point deep into and through his chest cavity and out his back. The room froze. Most in various states of surprise as they processed what they had just witnessed, let alone the _speed_ it occured. They were in such a state of consternation that the shrill scream from nearby had most of them jolting. The room at large watched as the man's Sekirei collapsed and started convulsing in a measure resembling a seizure. The woman looked over indifferently, saw the convulsing girl, and her ennui turned to derision. "Pathetic." With a shake of her head, she wrenched her blade from his chest, and with a gentle prod of the tip, watched apathetically as his body toppled backwards and landed with a *thud*. Simultaneously, the Sekirei went still. No rise and fall of her chest. No eye movement. Nothing.

The murderess glanced down at her blood-soaked arm and sneered, then moved to the female's unmoving body. She crouched down and methodically wiped the blood of the former Ashikabi on the girl's shirt. It was several restive moments, many of the gathered exchanging anxious looks, before she was satisfied. Without so much as a glance to anyone, she then turned and moved back to her spot on the wall, leaving the deactivated Sekirei's front soaked in her own Ashikabi's blood.

Most of the gathered just gaped at the event that transpired before their very eyes. Number thirteen's temerity proved well-founded, as none so much as moved in response to her actions. The other Sekireis had mixtures of emotions: some were fearful of the woman turning on them, some were fearful of her turning on their Ashikabi, but a select number were hopeful. All were silent, however, and waited for what happened next.

"What do you want, Higa?" Tsubaki addressed the bishonen waspishly.

Said man was of two minds regarding what he'd just witnessed. There was a reason, several in fact, for why he kept the woman on his payroll. One of which being what just transpired: she can kill Ashikabis. And wasn't just able, but willing to. A conflicting reason being: she killed one that worked for him. Useless, his minions may be, but they were still his. Thus, any killing of them should be under his orders, something he would not have condoned whilst the man still had a Sekirei.

However, through Kochō he was well aware that 13 was special for more than a few reasons. One of which being that she couldn't be forcefully Winged. Something about the combination of experiments effected on her resulted in her being able to reject Ashikabis. Albeit this is still wildly conjecture, the fact that three separate attempts to Wing her failed, despite the arguable cleverness of the attempts, supported that argument. Those greedy scientists' and guard's lives ended in very bloody and painful deaths, and Number Thirteen remained unwinged upon her departure from MBI, but gained a massive aversion for all Ashikabis.

Higa, however, fancied himself the exception. If she truly abhorred Ashikabis, why would she spend so much of her time around him? He chuckled to himself, having to give thanks to Minaka in making it so the more Sekirei he collected, the more that flocked to him. The bishonen had little doubt this played a large part in Number 13's habitual return, whether she admitted it or not. The money was secondary in his mind.

For now, he'd deal with the woman's failure. "What I want," he began, enunciating every word clearly so there would be no misunderstanding, "is EJ Black in here, at my feet, begging me not to rip his little girlfriend's head off. I expect you to bring either him or her to me, alive." She arched an eyebrow at the last, to which he smirked. "How can I gain control of his Sekirei if he's dead? No. Best to have him learn his place first. Then, once this Game is over, I shall acquire his company and put him out of his misery. Besides, having a doctor of his caliber at our disposal will make him a most valuable tool to have."

"I refuse."

Higa was momentarily confounded by the statement before recomposing himself. "Pardon me, but I didn't hear that correctly."

"You heard me quite clearly, Higa. So there's no need to repeat myself. But, I'm feeling benevolent, so I'll elaborate; I won't touch Delacour-san."

A murmur went through the crowd about the woman's claim, the bodies on the floor stating otherwise. What they didn't know, information that Higa was all too aware of, was that the woman before him very much preferred to play with her kills before ending them. It was a tossup who was more sadistic: her or the Black Sekirei. The quick and clean kill of the man _was_ a sign of benevolence from the murderous woman. That being said, her declining to a target was a first for her. Never mind how calmly she was doing so. "And why is that, might I ask?"

"She's not an Ashikabi," was the response, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"How certain of this are you?"

She harrumphed. "I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't."

Higa raised an eyebrow slightly. "And how did you come by this information?"

Tsubaki smirked at him and leaned back against the wall again and inspected her nails. "I have my sources."

"And they are?"

"None of your concern."

To the observant eye, it was clear that Higa was annoyed by the lack of forthcoming information. To the casual observer, meaning most gathered in the room, it appeared he was completely unphased by it. Then again, they'd seen this particular byplay before, so it wasn't anything new to them.

It was a tense moment before he appeared to relent. "Very well. Delacour isn't an Ashikabi. That will make it all the easier to acquire her then, won't it?"

"I'm not touching her, Higa. She's not a Sekirei. She's not an Ashikabi. She's of no concern to me."

"You will if you expect your remunerations, Number 13."

"Money's money, there's plenty of it elsewhere."

"I can also inform MBI where you've been hiding." That got her attention, as she slowly looked up at him with emotionless eyes. "Good. I have your attention now." He turned and faced out the window, hands in his pockets. Such arrogance had the woman's eyes narrowing, let alone the explicit threat, and her arm shifted into a blade. Uncaring of the attention the action drew, she uprighted herself, ignoring the numerous Sekirei reaching for their own weapons.

"The volume of failures in recent weeks is unacceptable," he began, unaware of the movements behind him as subtle shifts in stances occurred. "More specifically, your failure is unacceptable." One steps forward, several step back, many grips tighten. "Upon the inauguration of our consociation, you promised efficient and expeditious results. As of late, your deficiency has been most detrimental to my plans." A second hand shifts, another step, weapons are drawn, uneasy yet determined looks are exchanged.

"This latest dereliction of our agreement has brought me to the conclusion that our concordance requires amendation."

She was within striking distance now. He was at a disadvantage: the only Sekirei he owned that had the ability or speed to intercept her now were on patrol. Only Kochō was near enough, but the bloodthirsty woman knew Number 22 wouldn't interfere. Her heart, cold as it was, was picking up speed, anticipating the kill she'd been eager to complete for some time now. She'd wondered when this slimy bastard would pull this stunt. Had she not succumbed to her rage she might've wondered as to why he'd do it _now._ As it was, none, including she, noticed the odd ripple in the air near where the desk formally sat.

Being so close to the edge, she decided to prime her already adrenaline-filled blood by getting the answer she _knew_ was coming. "And what _amendment_ would that be?"

That smirk. How it infuriated her. Not even bothering to turn around to address her. She, who, in a moment's notice, could easily clear the distance and run both arms through his head and heart simultaneously without him even moving a muscle. And he has the audacity to smirk with his back to her. More fuel, as her blood inflamed at the word she expected to hear, and wasn't disappointed.

"Submission."

As with the kill a mere few minutes prior, it was over in a moment's notice. Tsubaki was moving before he'd finished the last syllable, her legs launching her as a springboard toward her target. Peripherally, she noticed several Sekirei reacting, and her previous estimations proved correct: they were too slow, or too far. Like a harpoon, she lanced through the air. The distance was short, and nothing but air between them. She wanted his blood. She needed it, demanded it.

And she would have it.

* * *

_Secret Room_

_Izumo's Inn_

_._

EJ moved into the room Matsu holed up in, curious as to why his redheaded Sekirei was so frantic when she called for him. Considering she'd been outside with them for the currently-delayed training with one of her touchpads, he couldn't but wonder what had managed to happen in the time it'd taken her to make it to her room. Gabby and Miya were right behind him, as was Kagari, who hadn't yet changed from his Homura persona; as the only ones not in the know were still outside, it wasn't necessary. All three each had various looks of curiosity and concern.

"Ok Matsu, we're here, what's got you bothered?"

Her fingers flew across her keyboard as information popped up on a number of screens.

"Senpai! We have a problem. It's Number 13. Something's happened to her."

"Was she winged?"

"No! Yes! I don't know!" She grabbed her hair and tugged at it in a groan of frustration. "MBI's data is inconclusive."

The four visitors each had various levels of confusion.

"Could you elaborate on that?" A few key-taps and she brought up MBI's file to the central screen. Kagari moved forward, eyes squinting, before tapping on a particular line.

"Why is the 'Status' uhh… whatever, why is this line blinking?"

She blew up the area, and another alongside it. "Probably for the same reason her Ashikabi marker is blinking. I don't know what these mean. As you all..." she began, before glancing at Gabby. "I mean, as these three know, these lines are usually solid. When they're Unwinged, their 'Status' is listed as 'Active'. When they're Winged, it says so. Same with Deactivated."

With a motion of her hand, she indicated the screen. "I've never seen it cycle between the three like this. It's as if they're somehow all three, which… I don't know how that could even be possible."

They remained in silence, contemplating the possibilities before Kagari spoke up in barely constrained fury. Though, his eyes were heavy with empathy. "What adjustments was she subjected to?"

With a sad, sympathetic smile, Matsu tapped a couple keys and brought up the file on the next screen. "All of them, Kagari." They all watched as the extensive file scrolled through several screens. "She's proof that Sekirei could be modified to such an extent as to nearly change our entire makeup _in vitro_. She's been modified to the extent I couldn't even tell you what her original abilities may have been."

It was a strange feeling for Kagari. He'd long felt he'd gotten the short end of the stick when it came to adjustments. Now, he was looking at someone who'd gotten the even shorter end, and didn't know how to respond. He felt bad for the girl, being the ultimate guinea pig, yet he was equally envious as it appeared her adjustments still gave her control of her own body. A few more key-taps brought him out of his reverie, and Matsu brought up a synopsis from one of Tsubaki's 'adjustors'.

"This is the part that's most relevant at the moment. It's been hypothesized that unlike most of us, she's not driven by the bond we share. As you can see here," she elaborated while highlighting a certain segment, "MBI believes she is capable of actually rejecting Ashikabis. Further proof being the number of people who tried Winging her while she was still at MBI. She slaughtered them, taking care to remove their jaws, lips and tongues. Basically anything that produces or carries saliva.

"Her Status never changed from 'Active'. Not even a flicker. That's what makes the current situation so odd. And concerning."

"Who is she supposed Winged to, Matsu?"

After a tap, the other three stepped forward, all leaning in despite the information being enlarged. All were in similar states of confusion at first, as it was empty. That is, until 'Status' blinked to Active, and a name appeared next to 'Ashikabi'. The two magicals suddenly uprighted when they read it, exact opposites of bundles of joy.

"_Putain d'enfer_, what is she doing here?"

The three natives turned and looked at the duo with interest. "Black-sama… you know this person?" Matsu asked tentatively. He nodded with eyes closed, taking deep breaths as he pinched his nose.

Gabby was much less reserved, swearing up a storm in French that had Kagari looking at her concerned.

"Who is it, Gabby-sama?"

While she just shook her head and deferred to him, Kagari's question had Potter turning to take one more look at the blinking name when it came around again. He never believed in coincidences, so the fact this specific person was here in Tokyo - or Shintō Teito as MBI was calling it - now of all times, couldn't be anything good. And worse, they'd managed to find themselves in the company of Number 13, who has killed a number of Ashikabi already, and is highly suspected in several more. There was no doubt who they'd be gunning for.

For now, though, it would be imperative to train the Sekirei. Though he knew Miya wouldn't want the Inn placed under the **Fidelius Charm**, as it would negate the Inn's purpose as a refuge, he'd offer it anyways. He and Gabrielle had discussed doing so with their home, and the Crucible. Knowing who was in town, the stakes were now clear, and the glance they shared confirmed her thoughts mirrored his own.

He turned to leave. "We best get back outside. With her in town, and whatever _that_," he indicated the blinking data, "means, we best be prepared for it. We can update Sahashi and his Sekirei about the situation later."

"Harry-san…" Miya's concerned acknowledgement stopped him, and he turned to face her. "Who is it?"

He sighed, and decided on simplicity.

"Trouble."

* * *

_Higa's Office_

.

Tsubaki knew without a shadow of a doubt she'd enjoy watching the light leave Higa's eyes. She knew emphatically how much she'd enjoy being the cause of it. And beyond both of those, she was adamant, resolute, intransigent if you will, that nothing would stop her from killing him when he gave her a reason to.

Which is why she couldn't understand why she hadn't yet. She'd launched at him, her arms formed into blades sharp enough to cut through concrete. Her aim was true, her desire was true… so why was she stuck mid-air mere centimeters from running the bastard through? And to add to the confusion, she couldn't move anything. She couldn't speak either. She just hung there, outstretched, and watched as the man slowly turned around to face her.

"Fascinating," he remarked, allowing himself a slight smile. He walked around her immobile and airborne form, finishing where he began next to the window. "It's one thing to have been given a demonstration. It's quite another to visualize it in action. Truly, this magic is most useful."

None there, not even Kakizaki or Kochō, understood what he was talking about. Though, all were quite fascinated with how he managed to ensnare the most dangerous Sekirei any of them had the misfortune of encountering.

"And if it were to be undone, she'd have lost all momentum?" The fact it was a question confused the gathered even more. But that quickly gave way to apprehension when a feminine voice answered from seemingly nowhere.

"That is correct, Higa-san." The air shimmered, and a striking young brunette woman appeared before them, a stick in her hand. "With a simple flick of my wrist…" she let it hang as she demonstrated, spinning Tsubaki mid-air, still outstretched. "She's completely at my mercy."

The woman had thought her husband had a nasty sneer, but the one this woman, this Sekirei, was giving her could easily have rivaled it, if not surpassed it. Then again, her husband had worn it out of habit; two decades of conditioning was not easily broken. Were she feeling more empathetic, she'd have agreed that this ebony had good reason for it.

But she wasn't feeling empathetic. This Sekirei was to be a tool for her vengeance. From what Higa had shared with her, this woman hated people like Potter. She only needed to make sure it stayed that way. And if hurting Potter meant taking out his little girlfriend also? Well, no one said life was fair.

"That demonstrates how you can control her physical actions, Malfoy-san. But, how do you intend to ensure she follows orders?"

Astoria Malfoy née Greengrass, widow of the late Draco Malfoy, turned a predatory smile towards him as she raised her wand towards the hanging woman. "Like this.

"_**Imperio**_."

.

* * *

**A/N: For those of you who didn't recognize the poem being quoted, it is "The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot. **


End file.
